The party’s supremo, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, revealed on Sunday that his party had helped the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) form a coalition government in Balochistan at the request of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf.
“The PML-Q had 17 to 19 lawmakers in Balochistan – but I couldn’t put together a government. And then former president Pervez Musharraf asked us to help the PPP form a coalition government in the province,” Shujaat told a news conference in Quetta. “Following the 2008 general election the PPP and Musharraf had become partners,” he added.
Shujaat also tried to distance himself and his party from the killing of octogenarian Baloch chieftain Nawab Akbar Bugti. “Bugti always trusted me and Mushahid Hussain Sayed (PML-Q secretary general) and our party is not the killer of Nawab Bugti,” he said and claimed credit for raising his voice in favour of Balochistan.
Bugti, along with a group of his diehard loyalists, was killed in a military operation in a cave in the Bhamboor mountain range near Kohlu district in August 2006. Then army chief Pervez Musharraf had ordered the operation and the PML-Q was in power.
In October last year, the Balochistan government, on the directives of the high court, had issued arrest warrants for Musharraf and then prime minister Shaukat Aziz. The Bugti family has also announced a bounty for Musharraf. The former military ruler, who is now heading his own faction of Pakistan Muslim League, planned to return to Pakistan and end his self-imposed exile this month, but delayed his homecoming following threats of arrest from the government.
Shujaat and Mushahid, earlier, convened a meeting of PML-Q’s parliamentary party in the Balochistan Assembly to finalise the party’s nominees for the Senate election slated for March, this year. PML-Q parliamentarians and provincial lawmakers attended the meeting.
“We will not nominate imported candidates or businessmen. Our candidates will be picked up from Balochistan not from other provinces,” Shujaat assured the meeting.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) immediately reacted to Chaudhry Shujaat’s statement. “He’s not spoken the whole truth. The PML-Q and PPP were a team for the approval of infamous National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO),” PML-N Information Secretary Senator Mushahidullah Khan told The Express Tribune.
“The alliance between the PPP and Musharraf was unholy,” he added. Khan said that both the PPP and PML-Q collaborated to form the incumbent government. “But I don’t think PML-Q’s lawmakers in the Balochistan Assembly are still under the command of Chaudhry Shujaat,” he added.
On the other hand, PPP Information Secretary Qamar Zaman Kaira refused to comment on Chaudhry Shujaat’s statement. “Since I’ve not seen the statement, I cannot comment on that,” he said.
PPP stalwart Senator Raza Rabbani has already moved a resolution in the Senate for pressing treason charges against Musharraf and seeking his trial under Article 6 of the Constitution for ‘suspending the Constitution twice and compromising national security.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 30th, 2012.
COMMENTS (9)
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@Chand: With Pakistan's huge expenses on army and WMD combined with the economy of third world country, the present cannot be better than the past. Unless we control our budget and get lots of foreign aid, our tomorrow is not going to be better than yesterday no matter who the rulers are. It is simple math that we are consuming more than we can afford. Regards, Mirza
Is present time better than what we had during Musharraf era?
@Light: Perhaps I was not clear. During a totalitarian rule (like in Yemen) in the end one has to negotiate with the dictator to find a way out of dictatorship. When there is no way and the army is strong and with the dictator what are the democratic and non violent options other than to work a way out? I would not be happy and proud of it but one has to be practical at times. I have been a dreamer and idealist all my life but it does not bring a change in the plight of people. I wish we could keep the army under control but can we?
Thanks and regards, Mirza
@Mirza seriosuly?? I mean...you were so against army in your previous comments and now you are giving logics like "Politics demand compromises and not hard line." even with army... :P
well I've a good news for you sir, you are now a pro politician especially the one who are among the forever ruling elite :)
Please check the history of balochistan electoral politics. All the parties are always part of the coalition. I remember that in the 1990 elections, PPP had just one MPA in Balochistan and yet he was part of the coalition!
This is the dynamics of Balochistan politics where not many want to be in opposition. All are part of power.
After the PPP won the 2008 elections, Mush was still the president with full dictatorial powers and support of his hand picked generals. The PPP had no choice but to tolerate him as long as he was president. Politics demand compromises and not hard line.
@kashif: All factions just cannot merge. Its impossible.
Come one @Kashif. They just cant.
There should be a unification of all the Muslim League factions to rid the country of this incompetent PPP government!