January 14, 2003	Tuesday	Ziqa'ad 10, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 13: The Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) president has expressed concern over the reports of possible deportation of some 50,000 Pakistanis from the United States under the INS and said fresh contacts would be established with the US president, government and Congress to stop such extreme actions.

Speaking at a meeting of the party’s top brass here on Monday, PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said: “If Benazir Bhutto can write to President Bush even against the national interests, why can’t we write to him for safeguarding the interests of Pakistanis suffering in the US.”

Shujaat had convened this high-level meeting of the party only two days after his election as chief of the PML-Q.

He said that the government would have to implement the policies on which the party leadership would guide it.”The government will be subservient to the party that will run it,” he asserted.

The PML-Q chief asked those party office-bearers who had been elevated to public offices that they should relinquish their party offices so that the same could be filled up by fresh elections under the party constitution.

He reiterated his desire that the party should run the government, unlike the past practices when governments ran parties.

Among others who attended the meeting included PML-Q Secretary-General Salim Saifullah Khan, vice-presidents Majeed Malik, Syed Iftikhar Hussain Gilani, Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Yousuf, Fazal Hussain, Azim Chaudhry and prime minister’s political assistant Yahya Munawar.

The party condemned the discriminatory treatment meted out to the Pakistani expatriates by starting their registration under the INS, and decided to draft and send a memorandum reminding US President Bush about Pakistan’s concern. The party top brass will hand over a copy of the memorandum also to the US envoy in Islamabad, Nancy Powell.

Speaking to newsmen, party’s organising Secretary Azim Chaudhry said that the PML-Q had directed Gohar Ayub Khan, a former foreign minister, and the party secretary-general to draft the memorandum.

It was also decided that signatures of people from various cities of the country to be obtained on a memorandum expressing fears of the masses about the American policy on the helpless Pakistanis.

The party instructed Foreign Minister Mian Khurshid Mehmud Kasuri to take his time during his US visit and try his best to help the Pakistanis suffering from the INS.

It decided to form a committee to frame a party policy on the possible US attack on Iraq by keeping the national interests high.

While reviewing the organisational matters of the party, it was decided that the party president would himself supervise the process by undertaking tours of the country. A think-tank will also be established at the party secretariat which will guide the party and government on policy matters.