April 16, 2007	Monday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 27, 1428

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LAHORE, April 15: At a time when the government is already facing a number of problems and it is not clear whether it will be able to weather the storm, three ministers of the Punjab cabinet have approached the PML secretary-general with a demand that a reference should be filed against a party MNA for his disqualification as a legislator and subsequent expulsion from the party.

Rana Shamshad, Nasim Lodhi and Ijaz Shafi through their joint application have alleged that Farooq Amjad Mir is involved in intrigues aimed at weakening the party. Workers, they said, were losing their patience because of Mr Mir’s remarks against the party leadership.

Mir’s office and residence had become dens of conspiracies against the PML and its leadership, they alleged, recalling how much hard work the party had done to get Mir elected as a member of the National Assembly.

“Time has come that discipline violators be dealt with ruthlessly. A line should be drawn between loyalists and traitors.”

Mir was the naib nazim of Lahore before being elected as an MNA in a by-election. Before that he was in the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf. He was also an active member of what was once a ‘forward bloc’ of the ruling party, which suspended its activities after intervention by President Musharraf.

Mir refused to offer comments on the demand made by what he called “hangers-on”. He said he would come up with a firm response when something was said about him by the party leadership.

“The hangers-on are making the statement at the behest of the very people they are asking to proceed against me,” he said without naming any one but leaving no doubt that he was referring to the Chaudhrys.

He said he had never violated discipline nor said anything against the party interest. Also, he said, he would not say a word against the party in future.

Mir said if the leadership took any decision without consulting the party, nobody was obliged to follow it. He said he had consistently tried to make the leadership realise not to take whimsical decisions, bypassing the party.

On the other hand, PML Secretary-General Chaudhry Zaheeruddin said every party worker had the right to have his/her opinion on any issue. He said the competent forum would decide the complaint against Mir.