Under new management: Arbab elected new PML-Q likeminded president

Hamid Nasir Chatta re-elected as party chairman.

ISLAMABAD:

A breakaway faction of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), known as the “likeminded group”, elected former Sindh chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim party president for a three-year tenure on Saturday.

The meeting of the general council of PML-Q (Likeminded) to elect new leadership was held under the chairmanship of Senator Salim Saifullah Khan. The former CM was elected unopposed by the general council, whereas Saifullah has been elected as a chairman of the party’s steering committee. Hamid Nasir Chatta has been re-elected as a chairman of the party for another three years, while Humayun Akhtar and Kashmala Tariq were elected as general secretary and information secretary respectively.

Speaking at the occasion, Hamid Nasir Chatta claimed to have always promoted democracy within party, stating “It is not the party of a particular family but the party of the nation.”

Having completed his own three-year term as president, Saifullah termed the election of a new leader historic. He criticised the government on a number of issues, ranging from target killings and corruption to national debt.

Addressing the meeting through a video link, the newly-elected chief of the party said that fair, free and transparent elections were not possible in presence of the sitting rulers.

Earlier, the general council also discussed the prevailing political situation of the country, conflict between national institutions, the law and order situation, target killings in Balochistan, threats to national integrity, corruption and the drug scandal in Punjab, in detail.

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