As the much-debated power-sharing deal between the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) enters its final phase, the PML-Likeminded felt the heat of the development and declared it an “unholy alliance” between the ruling party and its “B Team”.
In what can only be called a failed attempt at a show of numerical strength, PML-Likeminded President Senator Salim Saifullah Khan held a press conference on Sunday with no incumbent legislators accompanying him, and even the party’s chairman, secretary general and information secretary did not deem it necessary to join him at such a crucial press conference that could well end the group’s isolation in a changed political scenario, compelling both the Chaudhrys and the presidency to include the bloc in the power-sharing deal.
Lashing out at the PPP-PML-Q power-sharing agreement, Saifullah dubbed it “an unholy alliance”. A source in the PML-Likeminded told Pakistan Today that the PML-Q MNAs, including Israr Khan Tareen, Nauman Langrial, Talib Hussain Nakai, Riaz Fatiana, Sadiq Khan Baloch and Kishan Chand Parwani, who were associated with the likeminded bloc of the Q-League since its formation in July 2009 at the time of party elections turned a deaf ear to the invitation to the press conference meant to show off the group’s parliamentary strength.
Even the party’s information secretary Kashmala Tariq avoided attending the press conference. Another party source said that after the announcement of the PPP-PML-Q deal, the party had been reduced to a group of four people: Hamid Nasir Chattha, Salim Saifullah, Humayon Akhtar and Khurshid Kasuri. “Being the brother of the PML-Likeminded president, MNA Humayon Saifullah will remain in the bloc but the resolution of the affiliation of Chattha, Kasuri and Humayon Akhtar with the likeminded bloc is doubtful,” said the source, adding that PML-Likeminded MNAs were more loyal to the PPP top command than the Saifullahs.
Only unelected and virtually unknown leaders such as Nisar Khan, Ayub Khan Khattak, Col (r) Khalid Munir, Asia Azeem, Ajab Gul Surani and Malik Riaz Awan were present at the press conference.
