Five ‘Q’ senators refuse govt benches

Following the formation of the PML-Q Likeminded group, the PML-Q faced another forward bloc in parliament on Thursday when five of its senators – apparently annoyed over the party’s alliance with the PPP – asked the Senate Secretariat not to shift them from opposition to treasury benches.
Sources said senators Tariq Azeem, Naeem Hussain Chattha, Gulshan Saeed, Javed Ali and Jamal Leghari were among the PML-Q senators who submitted an application with the Senate Secretariat seeking seats on opposition benches. Senators Salim Saifullah, Ghaffar Qureshi and Haroon Akhtar have already parted ways with the Chaudhrys-led PML-Q, but the group has so far announced no policy regarding sitting on opposition or treasury benches in the Senate.
When contacted, Senator Azeem said they were against any alliance with the ruling PPP and they had already conveyed their displeasure to the PML-Q leadership over the coalition. “During parliamentary party meeting, we clearly opposed the decision of becoming part of the PPP-led federal government. We have been on opposition benches for the last three years and taking a U-turn now is not an appropriate action,” Azeem said.
He said that they would form a new group of senators while working from within the party, and would soon choose a leader to represent them. Azeem said the emergence of a similar group could not be ruled out in the National Assembly. MNA Marvi Memon had opposed the alliance during the PML-Q parliamentary party meeting and recently-elected PML-Q MNA Owais Khan Leghari might also lead a group of dissenters in the NA.
Senator Javed Ali Shah said he and some other senators of the PML-Q had not taken the step in anger, but under moral obligation. “We consider it immoral to sit on the treasury benches after finding faults with the incumbent government for three years,” he said. Likeminded MNAs: Meanwhile, the desired results of the PML-Q’s alliance with the PPP started pouring in on Thursday as five MNAs of the Likeminded group called on the Chaudhrys and reposed confidence in their leadership.
Those who met the Chaudhrys included Shahzada Mohiyud Din, Prince Muhammad Nawaz Alai, Israr Ahmed Tarin, Nauman Langrial and Sardar Talib Nakai.