October 25, 2002	Friday	Sha’aban 18,1423

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 24: The secretary-general of the PML(Q), Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, on Thursday said that a consensus government would be a blessing for the country, but the idea of a national government would mean absence of opposition, which was not practicable.

In reply to a query, Jamali, whom the party has named for the prime minister slot, said decision on the nomination of premier would be positive, but it might take some more time.

In an informal chat with newsmen at his party office, he said Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had been empowered by the PML(Q) Central Working Committee and its parliamentary group to nominate a party candidate for the prime minister office. This authority rested with him only, he added.

He was asked to comment on party President Mian Azhar’s statement that no one, including Chaudhry Shujaat, could take any decision without his consent.

When asked whether the proposal that he had mooted in 1994— for the distribution of high-political offices of the prime minister, four deputy prime ministers, speaker and chairman senate among the provinces to satisfy their representation in the Centre— was still applicable, he said that was 20th-century decision while ‘we’ were living in the 21st century.

Jamali said the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) would be welcomed if it felt easy in forming coalition government with the PML(Q).

He was asked to comment on the statement of Maulana Fazlur Rahman that the alliance was getting closer to the Quaid-i-Azam league