Mashallah, first Shahbaz Sharif tosses aside the agreements his brother signed at the APC in London to not have contact with the MQM, and meets the Governor of Sindh, Dr Ishrat ul Ibad. Now he is meeting with the former Prime Minister and newly elected Senator Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. PML (Q) is once again becoming centre of positive attention by Political parties.
Shahbaz wants more contacts with PML-Q | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online
Shahbaz wants more contacts with PML-Q
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, in his meeting with Ch Shujaat Hussain, has expressed his desire to see the revival of contacts between the two parties. Shahbaz on Monday visited the residence of the Chaudhrys of Gujrat and condoled the death of Ch Shujaat’s mother who was also mother-in-law of former Chief Minister Punjab Pervaiz Elahi. MNA Kh Asif, Senior Adviser to the CM Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa and Raja Ashfaq Sarwar also accompanied Shahbaz during this visit which came about at a time when the political circles are abuzz with rumours of change in the Punjab with their eyes set on the apex court, hearing the case of Sharif’s eligibility.
The insiders disclosed that after offering Fateha, and condolences and other formal exchanges that are reserved for such occasions, both Shahbaz and Shujaat alongwith their aides went into a closed-door session for further talks over a cup of tea. Both the sides had a long list of complaints against each other, which they exchanged quite openly - probably with the intention to melt the ice. The sources privy to talks between the two sides, disclosed that it was Shahbaz who first broke the long-drawn-out silence. He told Shujaat that he had some serious grievances against them. ‘While I had no complaint about you (Shujaat), I found Pervaiz Elahi extremely hostile towards me. He (Pervaiz) used even foul language against us’, the sources quoted Shahbaz as saying on this occasion.
Responding to Shahbaz’s complaints, both Pervaiz and Shujaat reminded Shahbaz the campaign he initiated against them, especially against Pervaiz Elahi under the garb of accountability drive and with his reference against leaders close to him. The Chaudhrys said they were on the receiving end ever since the PML-N formed the govt in the Punjab when they did nothing to provoke them in the first place.
The sources said that when Shahaz expressed his desire for more contacts in future between the two parties, Shujaat repeated his position. ‘It would have been far better had you contacted us soon after the February 18 election. If you had established contact, then today both Prime Minister and President would have been from PML-N. Then you and your party made a common cause with PPP and even contested election against us in alliance with PPP’. The sources claimed that Shahbaz told Shujaat that his party’s alliance with the PPP turned out to be blessing in disguise for the Leagues as it exposed both the PPP and Asif Zardari. Meanwhile, the sources privy to the talks between the leaders of two parties think that there was little in the meeting to suggest any change of heart, especially from the Chaudhrys side so far.
But with both PPP and PML-N vying for the Chaudhrys support and with realignment of political forces in the offing, the importance of PML-Q is on the increase and it is gaining central position in the ongoing political manoeuvring in the country. Already the Chaudhrys Gulberg residence has become centre of political activity with turnout of PML-Q leaders increasing every day.