ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid leader and Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Tariq Bashir Cheema on Thursday condemned the ‘removal’ of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain from the office of president of PML-Q by the party’s general council and stated that Chaudhry Shujaat is still the party’s president.

Cheema, flanked by Chaudhary Salik Hussain, said at a press conference that serious people of the PML-Q were with Chaudhry Shujaat Hussian and he was still the party’s president according to the law and constitution.

Without naming Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi, he said that no one expected such non-seriousness from a person who remained the chief minister of Punjab twice and deputy prime minister of the country, adding “today, they played a drama of holding the general council meeting and removed party president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain from his office”.

He said it was an unconstitutional move and a decision in that connection had been reserved by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

It is pertinent to be mentioned here that the ECP has reserved its verdict in a petition filed by PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain against the efforts being made from within his party to remove him from his seat and holding of intra-party elections.

Cheema asked the ECP to announce its reserved verdict as soon as possible. “If the ECP decided it on merit, then it is not possible for the provincial president of the party to replace the supreme,” he added.

He further said “today’s meeting held at Lahore was not a meeting of the general council as there was no representation from all the provinces.” They gathered some from some districts of Punjab for the meeting, he said.

He further said they were to hold a meeting of the general council in Islamabad Thursday but due to Chaudhry Shujaat’s illness, the meeting could not take place. The general council meeting would be held after a few days in the federal capital which would have representation from all the provinces, he said.

Cheema said they knew about the ongoing drama in Lahore but would respond when the right time came. Elahi planned to formally merge with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), though it would not bother them whatever party Elahi joined, he said.

Salik said the party members should be informed 10 days before the general council meeting since all MPAs were not present at the general council meeting in Lahore.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023