PML-Q top cadres resign en masse

Those who resign included senior vice president, senior vice president KP chapter, former NA deputy speaker.

ABBOTABAD:

The top cadre of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid from Hazara region, a partner in the PPP-led ruling coalition, resigned en masse on Wednesday.

Those who resigned at a crowded news conference in Abbottabad included PML-Q’s senior vice president Amanullah Khan Jadoon, senior vice president KP chapter Sahibzada Pir Muhammad Azhar, former National Assembly deputy speaker Sardar Muhammad Yaqub Khan and all district office bearers. The reason they cited was lack of support from PML-Q for an MQM bill seeking creation of new provinces, especially a Hazara province.

“Initially, we were told that the PML-Q was joining the coalition government following an assurance from PPP that it would create a Hazara province,” Jadoon told the news conference.

He added that the PML-Q central leadership always claimed that they had a written agreement with PPP on the Hazara issue. “But our leadership was unmasked as none of PML-Q lawmakers, excluding Sardar Shahjehan Yousuf, supported the MQM’s bill,” Jadoon said.

Though Jadoon didn’t say who they would be joining hands with – sources told The Express Tribune that they would jump onto the bandwagon of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf because PML-Q faced a bleak future in Hazara. They are said to have established communication channel with Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2012.