PMLQ general council removes Shujaat as president

LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PMLQ) General Council has removed Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as the party president, appointing his brother Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain in his place.

The meeting of the general council was held at the Muslim League House, Lahore, on Thursday and it was attended by party leaders and lawmakers from Punjab, Balochistan, Sindh and Azad Kashmir.

The council decided to appoint Kamil Ali Agha as central secretary general, while Tariq Bashir Cheema has also been removed from the post.

The move shows widening differences between Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi ever since the party decided to side with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and form the government in Punjab.

Shujaat is yet to comment on the development which comes a week after he removed Moonis Elahi as parliamentary leader in the National Assembly and appointed Cheema in his place.

Earlier, the former PMLQ president suspended the party membership of Pervaiz Elahi for hinting at the possible merger of his party with the PTI. – Sabah

Asim Yasin adds from Islamabad: Meanwhile, Tariq Bashir Cheema and Chaudhry Salik Hussain termed the meeting of Pervaiz Elahi-led group a “drama” and said that Shujaat was still the party president.

“We know that the meeting drama of PMLQ was staged in Lahore and by those who are going to formally merge into PTI. We have no objection to Pervaiz Elahi joining the party as he wants,” Cheema said while addressing a press conference here Thursday along with the PMLQ Vice President Chaudhry Salik Hussain.

Cheema said that Pervaiz Elahi is neither a member of the assembly nor has any position, so he can join any party because his party membership was suspended by Shujaat, while members of the national and provincial assemblies of the party were suspended and notices were issued.

“There would have been representation from all the four provinces in the general council meeting. But for the first time the decision of a political party is being made in such a hypocritical manner. It is clear that a few people from the districts of Lahore city gathered to form a party and the party posts have been nominated.”

The minister for national food security and research said the PMLQ was headed by Shujaat, and if the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan comes on merit, it would be in favour of Shujaat, adding that it was not possible for the provincial president to change the central president and all the officials. Cheema said the party issue was under hearing in the ECP and nomination of Chaudhry Wajahat and others was a step against the Constitution.

He said the PMLQ General Council was supposed to meet in Islamabad on Thursday but it was postponed for 10-days due to the illness of Shujaat.

Chaudhry Salik said the so-called meeting was called in violation of party’s constitution and there was a procedure for calling the General Council.

He questioned the status of those who attended the Lahore meeting. “They have done everything in haste. Tomorrow they will conduct a so-called election in the party but legally and constitutionally Shujaat is still the president of the party.”