The Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) is not ready to join the Pakistan Mulsim League-Nawaz (PML) unconditionally, as the former has demanded the slots of one vice president, secretary general and two provincial presidents of the party after reunification. The PML-Q has also sought the party should be called as 'Pakistan Muslim League (PML)' instead of PML-N, sources told Business Recorder here on Monday.
The PML-Q demands have really surprised many in the PML-N and they term these conditions unacceptable. Informed sources said that if the PML-N conceded to these demands, then the merger would actually look like the reunification of the two factions with PML-Q as a larger partner. Sources said that PML-Q has already been registered as "Pakistan Muslim League" with the Election Commission. The PML-N top brass, on the other hand, wants the PML-Q to unconditionally join PML-N, sources added.
The surprising demands from PML-Q have literally stopped the process of its merger with the PML-N at least for the time being. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, one of the PML-N central leaders, totally rejected the proposals of the PML-Q. Nisar, who is leader of the opposition in National Assembly and also heads National Assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC), holds the key to any major decision the PML-N takes after the general elections.
He is of the view, according to the sources, that there was no need of opening the PML-N doors for the PML-Q. Nisar opines that Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi will be abandoned by the party workers in Punjab, the stronghold of both the factions. The real problem faced by PML-Q is the dominating role of leaders who joined the PML-Q after parting ways with the PPP.
After they quit the PPP, these leaders led by the former defence minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal formed PPP-Patriots. In order to strengthen PML-Q), the PPP-Patriots merged with the former ruling party on the advice of the former president General Pervez Musharraf(Retd). Sources said that now these leaders want the PML-Q to maintain its independent entity, so that the political survival of these leaders could be ensured.
These leaders including Faisal Saleh Hayat, Raza Hayat Haraj, Sher Afgan Niazi and some others are not sure how the PPP, which is ruling country at present, would react if they quit the PML-Q. This development, the sources said, has forced the PML-Q to check its fate with the PPP.
The PPP is in desperate need of the PML-Q to oust the PML-N from the coalition in Punjab. But, the statements regarding the PML-Q made by Asif Ali Zardari in the wake of Benazir Bhutto's martyrdom have become a real bottleneck in developing the working relationship between the two parties at least at provincial level.
Most of the analysts are of the view that the present scenario will remain unchanged for the time being as the PPP is in no hurry to join hands with PML-Q before Senate elections due in March this year. The PML-Q is also aware of reaction of the party vote bank if they decide to topple the PML-N government in Punjab. Sources said these developments have resulted in resentments inside all the political forces.
The PML-N is experiencing internal differences as some of its leaders are not happy over the dominating role of Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in the party affairs. Leaders like Khwaja Asif, Javed Hashmi, Khwaja Saad Rafiq, Tehmina Daulatana and some other central leaders have been totally sidelined after the general elections.
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