PML-Q happy to stay in opposition: Shujaat Hussain

Islamabad, Feb.24 : The Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) has said that it would be quite happy to play a positive role in the opposition at the center and in the three provinces of Punjab, Sindh and the North West Frontier Province.

PML (Q) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain told reporters here that the party would form the next government in Balochistan with the support of like-minded parties and independents.

"PML is happy to play a positive role as opposition. We would not resort to desk-thumping and raising hollow slogans. Rather, we would contribute over national issues. We would also not stand in the way of PPP, PML-N coalition government formation. I tell you on oath that we have no desire to form the government in center or three provinces," the Dawn quoted him, as saying.

The PML-Q President said his party regarded the parliament as the hub of the decision-making process.

Meanwhile, the PML (Q) parliamentary party is meeting here on Sunday to assess its performance in the recently concluded polls and to strategise on the way forward.

The meeting is taking place even as there are reports of rumbles of discontent within the party over the actions of its top leadership.

According to The News, voices are being raised within the party to remove Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.

The PML-Q meeting held here on Saturday saw a majority of the participants calling for a change of leadership in the wake of the defeat in the February 18 polls.

During the meeting some wining party candidates, including Riaz Hussain Peerzada, raised the first voice for changing the leadership in the pattern of year 2002, when party replaced Mian Azhar, who lost election from two constituencies.

Peerzada made a hard-hitting speech against the leadership of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and asked the top leadership to accept the defeat and pave the way to elect new party chiefs in center and Punjab province.

Former Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri did not support Riaz Hussain Peerzada, yet he asked the leadership to convene a meeting of the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the party to take up the issue as soon as possible.

According to sources, Kasuri suggested that party should find the reasons for the its defeat and it should also analyze that why the ticket to former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was denied.

Senator Nilofar Bukhtiar also criticized the top leadership and opposed the party policy on judges' issue, saying that judges should be reinstated.

Main Manzoor Watto accused the leadership of making wrong decisions on distributing the party tickets for the elections.

Sources said out of 38 successful candidates of the Q-League around 17 newly elected party parliamentarians "abstained" from its first ever meeting of the newly elected parliamentarians and contesting candidates of PML-Q after election.

ANI