Pakistan

Alliance with the PPP: With ministries on offer, PML-Q to woo party dissidents

Work towards forming a joint strategy with MQM, JUI-F to avert betrayal.

Irfan Ghauri April 28, 2011

ISLAMABAD:

A crucial meeting of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) parliamentarians will be held at Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain’s residence where the party leadership will brief their members on the prospects of an alliance, and their ongoing negotiations, with the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

While Shujaat officially denies working out a deal with the PPP for joining the government, the capital is rife with speculations of new alignments on the political chessboard.

The PPP has been fishing for support to ensure a smooth passage of the next financial year’s budget that is likely to be presented on May 28, with major taxation proposals on the table.

Closely guarded

Both Shujaat and Pervez Elahi have been holding meetings with party members individually and in small groups to discuss prospects of an alliance with the PPP, but this would be the first general meeting of the party’s elected representatives after the recent developments.

Meanwhile, the second-tier leadership of the PML-Q appears clueless about the exact contours of the prospective alliance deal as both Shujaat and Elahi have been keeping their cards close to their chests, said several important PML-Q leaders while speaking to The Express Tribune.

The Chaudhrys’ meetings with the PPP leadership have included a select few, mostly their own family members.

Internal resistance

The PML-Q top leadership is facing stiff resistance, in its move to join the government, from a strong group within the party headed by Faisal Saleh Hayat.

Hayat has the support of a group of MNAs and Senators, including the patriots who deserted the PPP after the 2002 elections on behest of former President General Pervez Musharraf and later merged with the PML-Q.

The group has been proposing to the party leadership that the best option would be to not join the government formally, but support it on an issue to issue basis.

The Chaudhrys are trying to lure the group by offering them to pick ministries of their choice – a condition that may cause friction with the PPP since it has reservations over inclusion of some of these persons in its federal cabinet.

Besides, the Chaudhrys are prospectively looking for a broader future alignment with the PPP that goes beyond the budget session and includes the next Senate elections, the general elections and Punjab provincial politics.

At present, the PML-Q, with around 20 members in the Senate, is the second biggest party in the upper house of Parliament, but will be left with a few members after March 2012 when new Senate elections will take place and half of the present Senators would retire.

In case of an alliance with the PPP, the PML-Q leadership believes the ruling party would give them a share from their quota of seats.

Besides ministries, the PML-Q wants a share in parliamentary secretaries and chairmanship of more standing committees to win over support of maximum members of their fractured party that is already divided into two major groups – the Chaudhry-led PML-Q and the Saleem Saifullah-led PML-Q-Like Minded.

The combined strength of both the groups of PML-Q in the National Assembly is 52, sufficient to ensure that PPP government maintains its majority in case of an alliance.

Trust deficit

The Chaudhrys, however, fear that the PPP will betray and discard them after using them for its own agenda.

To avoid such a fate, the PML-Q leadership is trying to take PPP’s former allies – the MQM and the JUI-F – on board.

It wants the former allies to either join the alliance or at least give concrete guarantees that in case the PPP betrays any of them, they will back out from the alliance en-bloc, causing the PPP government to collapse immediately.

An MQM delegation met Chaudhry Shujaat on Wednesday while Maulana Fazlur Rehman has mandated Senator Talha to negotiate on his behalf. Talha held an important meeting with Shujaat at the latter’s residence on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Elahi, who has been playing the central role in negotiations with the PPP, is expected to be in Islamabad Wednesday evening.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (20)

Aamir | 12 years ago | Reply Pakistani politicians fear of their future so they are uniting to fool Pakistanis again. Mr. Nawaz Shareef fooled the nation and left for his treatment when all doctors were on strike while our beloved President was once on joy trip when nation was flooding. This is the true face of our leaders. They have already sold Pakistan to US for a few dollars and will pack their bags and leave soon. Lets pray for us as they will leave us in miserable condition. We are simply watching a grand Puppet Show.

Mulla Toofhan | 12 years ago | Reply The country is in such a mess and ever getting closer to becoming a failed state yet these shameless politician are busy trying to save their power base by any means, I feel sorry for common pakistani who work hard to make ends meet, pay taxes yet get nothing in return from these selfish rulers. The exploitation has to come to an end. These people should take a lesson from the Arab reawakening. People who do not learn from their mistakes are bound to repeat it.

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

S. Ali Raza | 12 years ago | Reply But then what will happen to Moonis Elahi?

Adnan S. Khan | 12 years ago | Reply I remember during the 2008 elections PPP politicians were screaming that the 'Q' league were the killers of Benazir and to avenge her murder people should vote for the Peoples Party o.O

Hasan Siftain Cheema | 12 years ago | Reply I belongs to Sialkot, which is main hub of PML... I stopped following Nawaz Sharif on his repeated lie that he did not went to Saudi Arabia after making 10 year deal, he is such a lier, I wish best of luck to PML-Q, and PPP. and there is immediate need of Saraiki Province and Bahawalpur Province... I dont know why Shahbaz Sharif say that karachi should also be separated when People of Sindh have not demanding separation.

James Bond | 12 years ago | Reply Will Moonis Elahi be freed then?

Chilli | 12 years ago | Reply Pakistan Puppet Party and Muslim League - Qulfi are now planning a new episode to entertain people of Pakistan.

Sultan Ahmed | 12 years ago | Reply ?

Sultan Ahmed | 12 years ago | Reply N league leadership have made a mistake by kicking out ppp from the cabinet it has created chance and pave the way for Q league to come into power in the Punjab. No power in the province to prevent choudery brothers entering into the power corridors.

Sultan Ahmed | 12 years ago | Reply Power sharing proposal is favorable, it goes against the interests of close political rival.

Aamer | 12 years ago | Reply @Akhtar Right now the danger is more likely PPP and its 'national' corruption, and PMLQ will assist in its 'national' corruption. Ironically PPP is the one that wanted separate Sindh by playing the 'Sindh card'

Sultan Ahmed | 12 years ago | Reply I would like to say it a golden chance for Q league. My sincere advice says,offer has been presented by PPP must be accepted,it is favorable. When Q league would remove all the rubbish scattered by N league within last three years and restored people's confidence,once again would gain popularity in the public. Please,move forward,try their best to convince the group in the Punjab assemble which called unification group. Occupy seats in center and the province that is the best way for conquer Takhat-e Lahore. It is my considered opinion, Qaid league can over come problem now has unleashed, for example, power short age,and gas load shedding and out of control prices of daily use,because past efficiency of Q league in Punjab show that Q league leadership can do that. Shouldn't miss the time ,chance is available move forward and serve the poor people better than them who called champion of democracy.

Pakorakhor | 12 years ago | Reply These chaudhries are non-entities as far as public support is concerned. They use others' shoulders and dirty machinations (everything on earth included) in order to remain on job.

Ali | 12 years ago | Reply @KR dude if you don't care why are you reading and commenting on the piece?

Akhtar | 12 years ago | Reply mr nawaz shareef is danger to country as he is a regional leader and like muneeb wants his own country ppp is a national party and PMLQ will add to it's strength

Malik Liaquat Hussain | 12 years ago | Reply It is evident that the alliance is not formed for the benefits or interests of people but for the personal gain of both the parties. All looters are coming under same roof. Request to Pakistani be aware of these looters.

KR | 12 years ago | Reply WHO CARES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Akhtar | 12 years ago | Reply another master stroke by that super inteligent Zardari

Noor Nabi | 12 years ago | Reply This party was known as the "Qing's" party during the Musharraf era; its illustrious members included Shaukat Aziz. Later, the now President, Mr. Zardari dubbed it as the "Qaatil" League. One hopes that this group will make a wise decision that does not validate the insinuations implied in the labels attached to it.

Mohammad Ali Siddiqui | 12 years ago | Reply PML(Q) in any tenure of every government is available for sale. Whether it is military rule or a democratically elected government, Chaudhry’s of Gujrat are available to serve the nation as most humble servants to join any type of government. Now General (R) Musharraf is regretting that PML(Q) who was part and parcel of his government have abandoned him, though Chaudhry’s of Gujrat time and again have said that they will elect General Musharraf as President in uniform for umpteen times. After the departure of General (R) Musharraf, PML(Q) is now negotiating deal with PPP government. Likewise, President Zardari will also regret afterwards as why he has made an offer to PML(Q) to join his government.

Replying to X