Shujaat and Mushahid elected PML president, secretary

With no challengers in the field, Shujaat Hussain and Mushahid Hussain were elected unopposed as president and secretary general, respectively, of the ruling PML by the party's general council here on Saturday.
Almost all 1500 members of the council had reached the venue for election but did not have to vote as the wannabe contestants had withdrawn from the arena the day before under what is said to be unbearable pressure and irresistible persuasion.
Unopposed election of Shujaat and Mushahid was in line with PML provincial elections where, too, there were no contests, and the party's three chief ministers, Pervaiz Elahi, Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Jam Muhammad Yousuf, were elected unopposed as provincial party chiefs.
Zafarullah Jamali was said to be a very reluctant participant of the council meeting, which was generally peaceful, except for a scuffle.
As Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was almost halfway through with his speech, a scuffle broke out between two groups of members over a banner, which one of them said was blocking the other's view. The other group refused to lower the banner, leading to a furious fistfight and misuse of chairs. Apparently disgusted with the development, the prime minister wound up his speech prematurely.
Earlier Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had said that PML had emerged from the intra-party election as a strong force poised to win the 2007 general election with thumping majority. He also promised to promote democratic culture and persevere in his endeavour to take forward Pakistan in all fields.
Shujaat told the meeting that he would not be candidate for the presidentship of the PML for next term. He upheld the policies of President Pervez Musharraf who, he said, "protected" the nuclear bomb, which was "manufactured by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and exploded by Nawaz Sharif", and added that no un-Islamic law would be promulgated in Pakistan.
The general council also adopted two resolutions. The first condemned Israel for its aggression against Lebanon, and the second blasted the opposition for what it called undemocratic moves in and outside parliament.
The council met under strict security arrangements, so strict that chief ministers of Sindh and Balochistan were allowed entry after verification. Reporters' entry, too, was blocked, but later on they were let in.