March, 19 2005	Saturday	08 Safar 1426

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ISLAMABAD March 18: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) president and its parliamentary leader, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, parliamentary leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Dr Farooq Sattar and PPP president and Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao on Friday met Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and discussed with him issues of Sindh, the National Assembly quorum and nomination of candidate for the vacant office of deputy chairman of Senate. Mr Hussain had a one-to-one meeting with Mr Aziz to exclusively discuss party matters before being joined by other coalition parliamentary leaders.

The PML leader later told newsmen in his parliament house chamber that it had been decided in principle that since Sindh Chief Minister and PML president Arbab Ghulam Rahim and the party’s provincial secretary-general, Imtiaz Shaikh, could not co-exist, both of them should quit in party offices.

He said a decision about the Sindh imbroglio will be taken by next week after chairman of the prime minister’s inspection commission Maj-Gen Farooq Ahmed submits his report to the prime minister.

Responding to a question, Mr Hussain said the inquiry against Imtiaz Shaikh was being conducted on the basis of the charge-sheet handed over to the party’s secretary-general Senator Mushahid Hussain by the Sindh chief minister.

He said an early decision about the future of provincial party organization of Sindh was all the more necessary in view of the forthcoming local bodies’ elections as “we are not ready to lose them because of such feuds between individuals.”

Referring to the question of quorum, the PML chief said he held himself responsible for this first of all and then the cabinet ministers, ministers of state, parliamentary secretaries and the chairmen of house committees.