World | Pakistan
PML-Q split over appointment of party president
PML-Q which ruled Pakistan from 2002 to 2007 under the patronage of former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf, is virtually divided into two factions as a political heavyweight dissident group has refused to accept nomination of party president and former premier Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain for the third term. Interestingly, Musharraf, who formed the party, is now being blamed for its division.
- By Fasihur Rehman Khan, Correspondent
- Published: 23:25 July 10, 2009
Islamabad: PML-Q which ruled Pakistan from 2002 to 2007 under the patronage of former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf, is virtually divided into two factions as a political heavyweight dissident group has refused to accept nomination of party president and former premier Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain for the third term. Interestingly, Musharraf, who formed the party, is now being blamed for its division.
The dissident group boycotted Wednesday's provincial party elections where former Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, cousin of Hussain, was elected provincial party president, unopposed.
The dissident group argues that under the party constitution its president cannot be re-elected for the third term, but supporters of incumbent president Hussain claim an amendment has already been made to re-elect him for a third term - a claim that needs to be independently verified and has been challenged by the dissidents with the Election Commission of the country.
The dissident group, led by leading lights of the former ruling party, already plans to nominate senior party leader Hamid Nasir Chattha as its chairman, former federal ministers Salim Saifullah Khan and Humayon Akhtar Khan as President and Secretary General of the party respectively. Party officials say these names will be announced as soon as the Hussain-led group bulldozes the electoral process in their favour.
Hussain assumed party office in 2003 and his cousin Elahi assumed the post of Punjab Chief Minister in November 2002, under the patronage of the then military ruler and president Musharraf.
The PML-Q was founded in 2001 immediately after former premier Nawaz Sharif was sent to exile in Saudi Arabia for ten years under a deal with Musharraf who had deposed Sharif in October 12, 1999 through a bloodless military coup.
After failing to hijack Sharif's party, the PML-N, top aides of Musharraf formed PML-Q incorporating political heavy weights once loyal to Sharif. The party was given power after the disputed 2002 elections.
In 2006 and 2007, political heavyweights loyal to Musharraf tried to dislodge Hussain as party president but their efforts were frustrated by none other than Musharraf who thought the timing of the move might dent him politically, officials say. But after a deal with slain former premier Benazir Bhutto at the end of 2007, and then after the 2008 elections, Musharraf himself wanted Hussain to resign but faced tough resistance from the latter's camp.
Since then a war of words has raged between the two groups amid some fragile efforts to broker a deal. The Hussain-led group is accusing the dissidents of playing into the hands of Musharraf who they claim is planning to stage a comeback in Pakistani politics after a two-year time bar expires in November. As Army Chief Musharraf retired in November 2007 and under the constitution a government official in the service of Pakistan cannot take part in politics till two years after his retirement.
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