ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday decided to reinstate Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) on his petition filed against his cousin former Chief Minister Punjab, Pervaiz Elahi.

In the verdict, the ECP stated that the PML-Q central working committee’s decision of removing Shujaat Hussain as party head was illegal and the party elections announced by the central committee were also null and void.

A five-member bench of the ECP, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, heard the petition.

In his argument, the counsel for Hussain said a person ceased to be the party’s president only in two cases, either he quits or dies.

The party leadership was previously contested after Hussain’s removal in July of last year, citing health reasons, but he challenged the decision and the tribunal temporarily maintained his presidency.

The PML-Q remains divided on alliances with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Recently, rifts within the PML-Q widened as the party elected Wajahat Hussain as its central president while retaining Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as the party’s Punjab president.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023