Shehbaz woos Chaudhrys for no-trust move

PML-N president meets leadership of breakaway faction PML-Q after 14 years

LAHORE:

A PML-N delegation led by its president Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday met with the PML-Q leadership at its residence in Lahore after a gap of 14 years as part of the efforts to muster support for the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The PML-N delegation discussed matters of mutual interest and the prevailing political situation with PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and his cousin Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervez Elahi, according to an official statement.

Apart from Shehbaz, the PML-N side included senior leaders Ayaz Sadiq, Rana Tanveer, Khawaja Saad Rafique and Ataullah Tarar.

Shehbaz, who is also the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, inquired after Shujaat’s health on behalf of party supremo Nawaz Sharif and wished him a speedy recovery, the statement read.

The PML-Q chief, who is also a former premier, thanked the PML-N supremo and the party delegation and for showing concern about his health, it added.

Sources privy to the details of the meeting told The Express Tribune that the meeting lasted for over an hour during which the PML-N leader sought the PML-Q's support for the no-confidence motion against PM Imran in the National Assembly.

The opposition leader said during the meeting that despite being an ally of the PTI government, the PML-Q had expressed its concerns on various occasions over the government’s policies. “Now it’s time to make a big decision,” Shehbaz was quoted as saying.

However, the Chaudhry brothers told him that the coming days were crucial and their party would make a decision after evaluating the situation.

A PML-N leader, who was present during the meeting, requesting anonymity, said the meeting took place in a very coordinal environment.

He said both sides had agreed on future interactions.

When asked about Shehbaz specifically seeking the Chaudhry brothers support for the no-trust motion, and their subsequent reply, he said he could not comment on that.

The PML-Q’s leadership and members were once part of the PML-N. After the 1997 general elections, political differences arose that ultimately led to the creation of a faction inside the party.

The dissidents, led by Shujaat, vocally supported the 1999 military coup d'état staged and led by then-army chief Gen Pervez Musharraf.

In 2002, the dissident leaders launched the party and later became an integral part of Musharraf's government. It even appointed its own prime minister, Shaukat Aziz.

Read more: No-trust motion: Opposition labours to put word into action

Separately, the PML-N leader also told The Express Tribune that Shehbaz had held another important meeting with the lawmakers of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), MPA Arif Mustafa Jatoi, brother of Federal Minister Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi, and MPA Sheharyer Khan Mehr.

The GDA is another coalition partner of the ruling party at the Centre. The PML-N leader said the meeting lasted for 45 minutes and Shehbaz had not sought the GDA’s support for the no-confidence move.

He added that as both GDA lawmakers were not from the top tier leadership of their party, so the discussion was limited to the political situation of the country.

A day after the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – an alliance of opposition parties -- had announced its plans for bringing a no-trust motion against the government, the opposition on Saturday kicked off its strategic preparations into high gear to muster support for its ambitious plan.

Also read: Govt will respond to no-confidence motion constitutionally: Fawad

The head of the anti-government alliance, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, met with the leadership of the ruling party’s ally, Chaudhry brothers of the PML-Q, at their residence on Saturday.

Similarly, former president and PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, in a telephonic conversation, assured Fazl of fully supporting the motion against the prime minister.

Zardari expressed his willingness to throw weight behind the move as Fazl inquired after his health. The two discussed the overall political situation of the country.

Addressing a news conference on Friday, the JUI-F chief had announced that the participants of the PDM meeting had unanimously decided to bring a no-confidence motion against the government, adding that the alliance would constitute a committee to peel off allies of the ruling party to put the word into action.

However, he added, the members of the committee would be announced later. The fate of the opposition’s no-trust motion hinges on the defection of government allies or its lawmakers. During the telephonic conversation with Zardari, Fazl also said that he would soon contact the government’s allies to ensure the success of the no-confidence motion.