PML happy to stay in Opposition, says Shujaat
'Pakistan Times' Political Desk

ISLAMABAD: An extraordinary meeting of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) ticket holders Saturday decided that the party would play a positive role as opposition in the center and three provinces while it would form government in Balochistan with the support of like-minded parties and independents.

Briefing the media after the meeting held at the PML House, President PML Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said that the morale of party leaders was ‘quite high’ and all were of the view that the party would stay united to play a positive role as opposition.

Besides newly-elected MNAs and ticket holders, Mian Manzoor Wattoo who won two national assembly seats from Okara, also attended the meeting.

“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. However, PML has emerged as largest party in Balochistan and we would form government in Balochistan. Now those who got votes making false and tall claims should fulfill their promises made to the masses,” he said adding that his party and coalition partners had bagged more votes than PPP or PML-N.

Shujaat said his party had received strong support from all the four provinces which reflected that the people wanted the development policies of the party to be carried on.

The PML President said his party would regard the parliament as hub of decision-making process. He said his party was the only political party which had given its programme even being an opposition party.

“No legislator would leave the party InshaAllah. However, the opposition is not regarded by numbers rather it is respected for its quality input in the national affairs,” he said while answering a question.

When asked about the PML’s Parliamentary Leader in the centre and Punjab, Ch. Shujaat said his party would choose a parliamentary leader who would be a member of the respective House.

“We would not nominate a Parliamentary Leader who is not even a member of the House,” he said without directly naming the PML-N who have nominated parliamentary leaders who are not members of National Assembly and Punjab Assembly.

“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,” said Mushahid Hussain Sayed.

He said the party president had nominated a Legal Aid Committee headed by Senator S.M. Zafar comprising Senator Wasim Sajjad, Dr. Khalid Ranjha while Senator Tariq Azeem would be coordinator of the body. This committee would take up the irregularities conducted by candidates of opponent parties in the elections,” he said adding that the defeated party candidates had produced solid proof of the irregularities and vote fraud in the recent polls.

“Though the party has accepted the polls result, yet the legal aid committee would take up the issue of irregularities in polls with the election commission as our most of the loosing candidates, especially from Sindh, have solid proof of the massive vote fraud,” he said.

Ch. Pervaiz Elahi told reporters that the party leaders had recorded their feed-back to the party during the meeting and the PML parliamentary party would meet on Sunday.

When he was asked to comment on former Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri’s proposal that the PML should join a national government, Elahi said there were others who thought otherwise.

Answering to a query regarding flour crisis, Pervaiz Elahi said there was no flour crisis while the PML government was in place.

“Though defeat and triumph are part of political process, yet we have accepted results and want to take political process ahead. But let me clarify that there was no flour crisis in the country when the PML government was in place.

However, the issue was a result of some mismanagement by the people at the helm under caretaker regime,” he said clearly finger-pointing towards the interim government.

He urged the PML-N leadership to fulfill their 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 their promise to restore the judges. Now they should accomplish their commitment,” he added.

Mushahid Hussain told the media that the meeting of PML parliamentary party in national assembly would be held on Sunday while the provincial chapters of the party would meet on Monday. He said that three Presidents of PML Provincial chapters had attended the meeting while Jam Muhammad Yusouf was represented by Secretary General Balochistan Arbab Hashim Kasi.

On the occasion, the MNA-elect Syed Aijaz Shah Shirazi told reporters that PPP candidates had conducted massive vote fraud in most parts of Sindh.

“Though the PPP candidates were riding sympathy wave, yet I secured 15,000 more votes than the lead of seven MNAs-elect of the PPP who all got 15,000 more votes than PML candidates. Once the polls results were announced, security guards of PPP candidate Ghulam Haider Malkani killed three young supporters of PML,” he said adding that the PML supporters feared more incidents of harassments on the hands of PPP stalwarts.

Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Sayed, President PML Punjab Ch. Pervaiz Elahi, President PML NWFP Amir Muqam, PML Vice President Senator Muhammad Ali Durrani, Additional Secretary Nasir Mengal, and Secretary Information Tariq Azeem were also present.●