The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leadership at a consultative meeting demanded the formation of a national commission to probe into allegations of rigging in elections within a period of 30 days. The demand for the commission was made at a party meeting in which office-bearers and ticket holders in recent elections participated in big numbers.
The meeting, held at the residence of Chaudhrys, also saw some heavy outbursts from members against the party leadership’s decision to partner with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). The angry lot in the party dubbed the party decision to align with PPP as the main cause of the party’s humiliating defeat in elections. They also warned the leadership against any further cooperation with the PPP. Instead, they argued the party leadership should cooperate with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) with an intention to develop a long-term partnership.
Party insiders disclosed that the mood in the meeting got grim and hostile when Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in the beginning told members that he was approached by PTI leaders Shah Mahmood Quereshi and Jehangir Tareen.
“But we advised them to go slow and be more careful. We can evolve a joint strategy at the time of local bodies’ elections,” sources quoted Elahi as saying.
The crowd gathered on the occasion wanted to immediately get rid of the PPP baggage and instead open up channels of communication with PTI in the better interest of the party. In a major decision reached on the occasion, the PML-Q would make a joint opposition with other parties in the opposition, both in Punjab and Center.
It was also decided that the party would press for formation of the national commission immediately and before the new government assumed office.
