PML (Q) — from political pariah to kingmaker.

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
1

Who would have thought one year ago that the PML (Q) would return to be the most sought after political party in the country. The Kings party is once again the Kings maker. What or who will the next 12 months bring? Any ideas?

PML-Q — from political pariah to kingmaker -DAWN - Top Stories; February 27, 2009

PML-Q — from political pariah to kingmaker

The Sharifs’ disqualification and their falling out with the PPP has been a gift for the Q-League which was being likened to a political pariah after last year’s electoral setback and the removal from office of its chief patron General Pervez Musharraf. And as the political wheeling-dealing gets into high gear, the party now seems to hold the key to a new power dispensation in Punjab. Neither the People’s Party nor the PML-Nawaz is in a position to form government in Punjab without the support of the Q-League.

Insiders have told Dawn that a majority in the Q-League seems keen on using the opportunity to cross the aisle in the Punjab assembly. Background interviews with top Q-Leaguers show that only a few leaders are in favour of joining hands with the Sharif brothers. The Chaudhrys of Gujrat and many others are inclined to become part of an expected coalition accepting the People’s Party as senior partner.
The Islamabad residence of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, which used to wear a deserted look till very recently, is flocked by ‘like-minded’ politicians. Receiving condolences from the visitors following his mother’s death, Chaudhry Shujaat and his cousin Pervaiz Elahi seem to have started sensing their importance once again. “We are being approached by both the People’s Party and the Nawaz-League. Both want us to be on their side, which is understandable given our strength in the provincial assembly,” former chief minister Pervaiz Elahi told Dawn.

The PML-Q has 85 members in the provincial assembly, including those belonging to a so-called forward bloc. In the house of 371, a party needs support of 186 MPAs to form government. The PML-N is the largest force in the assembly with around 170 members, followed by the People’s Party with around 110. According to a PML-Q leader, the party would not take a decision in haste. “Instead, we will wait for both the PML-N and the People’s Party to formally contact us. Of course, a debate will determine whether to join the government or to remain in the opposition.”

The PML-Q president said that the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the party would be called for a detailed discussion. “We want to take every party leader on board before reading a decision,” Chaudhry Shujaat said. Some ambitious party leaders have already started their calculations. They have been advising the party president to try to get the best possible deal with President Asif Ali Zardari. “We know that being a minority group we cannot vie for the office of chief minister. But we should be content if we get the speakership of the assembly and some key ministries,” observed a senior Q-League leader requesting anonymity. But according to Faisal Saleh Hayat, parliamentary leader of Q-League in the National Assembly, the decision would require some time and much deliberation. “The goalposts have changed. But before talking about joining hands with the People’s Party or the PML-N, we should decide if we are ready to sit in the coalition,” he observed. Sources said the Chaudhrys have privately told their comrades that the party would not be able to maintain its independent status if it forms an alliance with the N-League.

They said that strengthening the Sharif brothers at this time would be a political blunder. They accused the brothers of targeting the leaders and workers of the PML-Q during the past year. Even Senator Tariq Azeem, the PML-Q information secretary, has changed his views after the disqualification of the Sharif brothers. A few days ago he had told Dawn News that a majority of party leaders would like to side with the PML-N, instead of joining a PPP-led coalition. “Things have changed after the Supreme Court verdict and the imposition of governor’s rule in Punjab,” he said, adding that at the moment around 60 per cent of the leaders were favouring an alliance with the People’s Party. “But nothing is final and I cannot say anything categorical. Over the next few days we will hold a series of party meetings to discuss the situation and make our decision,” Azeem said.

2

Re: PML (Q) — from political pariah to kingmaker.

As long as Shujaat is there, there will be no alliance b/w the PPP and the lota league. Elahi seems to be a little more open to Zardari though, since hes realized that the Bhuttos are out of it now, and they're blaming the wrong person for the death of their pyoo.

3

Re: PML (Q) — from political pariah to kingmaker.

Who had thought 14-15 months ago Zardari will become Pakistan's president? So yeah, crooks and criminals are still getting the power, nothing has changed in decades.

Timepass- December 2012
4

Re: PML (Q) — from political pariah to kingmaker.

PML-Q ...becomes the King Party truly.......... and they will go with..PPP. Ganja Brothers are gone for good, now pray for Zardari,Gilani,Chauhdry, Cartoon.

Then we will test Imran Khan ..and the next day Army will come. So the circle will continue without any disruption !

5

Re: PML (Q) — from political pariah to kingmaker.

It is very easy to say any one looter . It was a plan of agencies to defame Zardari to make harm popularty of Benazir Bhutto after her success in 88 election.It is still continue. I have not seen any brave man like him in Pakistani politics after Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

6

Yes, Zardari is brave, thats why he planted a shoe-bomb to extort 2-crore Rupees in late 80s, and yes ISI and Army had instructed him to do so to defame Benazir Bhutto.

7

Man you really read those Rs. 2 shaam ki akhbaraat dont you!

8

Yes, they are better then Nawaiwaqt, The News, Jang (PML-N) .. & Dawn, Express, Din, Khabrain (PPP) :)

9

Re: PML (Q) — from political pariah to kingmaker.

so you honestly believe chaudhry shujaat and zardari will be bhai bhai?

10

Everyone is after the Kings Party, it seems?

DAWN.COM | Pakistan | PML-Q to play crucial role in Punjab: PM Gilani

PML-Q to play crucial role in Punjab: PM Gilani

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Monday said he is against the imposition of governor-rule in Punjab.

Speaking in the Senate, Gilani said confrontation between Punjab and Sindh’s political forces would harm the country’s democratic process. He urged all political groups to work together for the country’s socio-economic uplift. The Pakistan Muslim League - Quaid (PML-Q) has to play a crucial role in Punjab and political parties should be respecting each other’s mandate, he said. ‘I desire it (governor rule) to go tomorrow instead of after two months. For this we need to show maturity. Today everybody is looking towards PML-Q.’ Any party clinching majority in Punjab should be allowed to form the government there, Gilani said. He said although the government has no objection to lawyers’ long march, however, it should however be peaceful.

DAWN.COM | Pakistan | A possible solution

A possible solution Dawn Editorial

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, gestures as he addresses at a public meeting in Shiekhupura, Pakistan. — Reuters Hurting as this country is towards the brink of political chaos, there is still time for the politicians to slam on the brakes and reverse course. At the moment though none of them appears to want to do so. The Sharifs have sounded the clarion call for Punjab to rise up, the PPP is busy with the mischief of cleaving forward blocs from the PML-Q and PML-N, and the PML-Q is allowing itself to be courted by both sides while its intra-party divisions refuse to die down. If not stopped immediately, the chain of events triggered by the ouster of the Sharif brothers from electoral politics and the imposition of governor’s rule in Punjab will surely end in tears for everyone involved. The simplest way to defuse the present crisis would be to withdraw governor’s rule, allow the PML-N to prove its majority in the Punjab Assembly and use the collective will of parliament to pave the way for the Sharifs’ return to electoral politics. Yet, notwithstanding the Sharifs’ fierce assaults on President Zardari, what makes that unlikely for now is the lawyers’ long march.

The fear of the PPP will be that even if it reverses course in Punjab, the PML-N and the lawyers will still try to bring down the government in Islamabad. That may be directly attempted by besieging parliament and threatening a violent stand-off until the powers-that-be pull the plug on the federal set-up. Or it may be indirectly attempted by insisting the deposed chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry be reinstated and having him then tear down the edifice of a government that he has made clear is in some ways a continuation of the Musharraf era.

**So, if a confrontation on the streets is to be avoided and the crisis resolved within the parliamentary chambers, the key to the solution is the PML-Q. A report in this paper the other day suggested that the PML-N and the PML-Q may be set for a reunion, a result which, from the point of the present crisis, may allow all the protagonists to keep the transition to democracy on track. Because of the PML-Q’s strength in the various assemblies, a union between the two PMLs would greatly simplify the numbers game. **In Punjab, a combined PML would have a secure two-thirds majority. In the National Assembly and the Senate, the present coalition government’s simple majorities in both houses would not be turned. Moreover, the PML-Q, which is a partner of the PPP in the Balochistan government, could act to cool temperatures between the PML-N and the PPP in a bid to protect its interests in the various assemblies. But will sense prevail? It must if Pakistan is to overcome this crisis, though at the mo

11

Re: PML (Q) — from political pariah to kingmaker.

:rotfl:

Looks like the PML[Q] PPP alliance isnt becoming a reality! :rotfl:

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Q has nominated Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as its candidate for the post of chairman senate.

According to sources, Sardar Jan Jamali will be a common candidate for all the parties for deputy chairman senate.

It may be mentioned here that the ruling Pakistan People’s Party has nominated the Law Minister Farooq H. Naek for the chairman’s post.

PML-Q nominates Shujaat as senate chairman

Celebrity pics
12

If the story is true, then it is about time Punjab is brought out of Anarchy and Chaos caused by Sharif brothers.

DAWN.COM | ? Punjab | PML-Q sides with PPP to form Govt in Punjab

PML-Q sides with PPP on forming govt in Punjab

**LAHORE: Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has finally given his nod to Governor Salmaan Taseer for installing a PPP-PML-Q government in Punjab. **

Both the leaders also finalized modalities of the alliance in a meeting at Shujaat’s residence at Gulberg here on Sunday.

According to a source in the Governor House, after the successful outcome of the meeting, Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf was given a go-ahead to declare ‘war’ on PML-N.

The meeting, which lasted for one-and-a-half-hour, was also attended by Pervaiz Ealhi and Moonis Elahi.

The source further informed Dawn that the PPP-PML-Q alliance would initially be limited to Punjab. At least 10 ministries would be given to the PML-Q. Moonis Elahi will be the senior minister under the new setup.

‘Seeing the fate of PPP-PML-Q agreements in the past, the PML-Q has involved foreign guarantors in the process,’ he disclosed and added that the PPP had left the option of taking share in both lower and upper houses open for the PML-Q. ‘For this, PML-Q President Shujaat Hussain will have to discuss it directly with President Asif Ali Zardari,’ he said.

A PML-Q leader confided to Dawn that his party had already reached an understanding with the PPP regarding power-sharing in Punjab. ‘The PML-Q had been taken into confidence about the imposition of the Governor’s Rule and both the future coalition-partners are moving ahead according to a written script,’ he revealed.
Chaudhry Pervaiz Ealhi told newsmen at his residence that his party would engage in parleys with the PPP if they (PPP-PML-N) failed to reconcile by March 11.
Insiders said the PPP had to announce parting its ways with the PML-N and taking the Chaudhrys of Gujrat on board to give a ‘clear message’ to PML-N and PML-Q forward bloc MPAs about ‘seriousness’ of installing its government in Punjab.
They said the forward bloc legislators had already conveyed to the PPP leadership that they would not return to their parent party unless the Chaudhries of Gujrat publicly announced their alliance with the PPP.
Former senior minister Raja Riaz told Dawn that now it would be very easy for the forward bloc to make up their mind to repatriate. ‘You will see under the new development the PPP-PML-Q will comfortably form government in Punjab.’
PML-Q vice-president and former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri told this reporter that if his party went with the PPP, the alliance would be ‘short-lived.’

13

Ahh, the sovereignty.