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PML-Q to sit in opposition: Shujaat Says party will form govt in Balochistan
ISLAMABAD: Blaming the caretaker government for its defeat in the recent elections, the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) on Saturday said it will act as opposition at the Centre and in three provinces rather than working as a junior partner of any other party. “The morale of party leaders was ‘quite high’ and all were of the view that they would stay united to play a positive role as opposition and would not stand in the way of any party in its efforts to form governments,” PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said while addressing a press conference here after a party meeting. PML-Q Secretary-General Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Vice-President Senator Muhammad Ali Durrani, Information Secretary Tariq Azeem and PML-Q Punjab president Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi were also present. Besides newly-elected MNAs and ticket holders, Mian Manzoor Wattoo, who won on two National Assembly seats from Okara, also attended the meeting. Shujaat said the party would play a positive role as opposition at the Centre and in three provinces while it would form government in Balochistan with the support of like-minded parties and independents. “We would not resort to desk-thumping and raising hollow slogans, rather we would contribute over national issues as we have no desire to form government in the Centre or three provinces,” he added. However, he said the PML-Q has emerged as the largest party in Balochistan and we would form government in Balochistan. “Now those who got votes making false and tall claims should fulfil their promises made to the masses,” he added. Shujaat said his party had received support from all the four provinces, which reflected that the people wanted the party’s development policies to be carried on. Replying a question, he said his party would choose parliamentary leaders in Punjab and at the Centre from members of respective houses. “We would not nominate a parliamentary leader who is not even a member of the House,” he added. PML-Q Secretary-General Mushahid Hussain said the party has decided to adopt a national agenda which would include terrorism, price hike, unemployment, justice, education, health and other social issues as the party has decided to embrace an issue-based political strategy in the national politics. He said the party president have set up a legal aid committee headed by Senator SM Zafar and comprising Senator Wasim Sajjad, Dr Khalid Ranjha while Senator Tariq Azeem would be coordinator of the body. This committee would take the irregularities done by opponent party candidates in the elections, and the defeated party candidates produced solid proof of the irregularities. He said though the party has accepted polls results, yet the legal aid committee would take up the issue of irregularities in polls with the election commission as most of our loosing candidates, especially from Sindh, have solid proof of the massive vote fraud. In reply to a question, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said that the party leaders had provided their feedback to the party during the meeting, and the PML parliamentary party would meet on Sunday. When asked to comment on former foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri’s proposal that the PML-Q should join a national government, he said there were others who thought otherwise. Answering a query regarding the flour crisis, Pervaiz Elahi said there was no flour crisis while the PML-Q government was in place. However, he said the issue was a result of some mismanagement by the people at the helm of affairs under the caretaker regime,” he said. He urged the PML-N leadership to fulfil its promises made during the election campaign regarding restoration of deposed judges. “Despite the fact that five days have passed since election, they (PML-N) have not fulfilled its promise regarding restoration of judges. Now they should accomplish their commitment,” he added. Senator Mushahid Hussain told media persons that the meeting of the PML-Q parliamentary party in the National Assembly would be held on Sunday while the provincial chapters of the party would meet on Monday. He said that three presidents of the PML provincial chapters had attended the meeting while Jam Muhammad Yousuf was represented by Balochistan party Secretary-General Arbab Hashim Kasi.
Courtesy The News