ISLAMABAD, March 4: The Pakistan Muslim League-Q put up a somewhat impressive show on Tuesday, by having succeeded in assembling newly elected National Assembly members of most of its allied parties in the previous government in what was seen as a reply to a show of strength staged last week by three parties which have most seats in the lower house of parliament.

At the meeting held at a local hotel, the allies vowed to continue their cooperation while sitting on the opposition benches. The meeting appeared to be part of a forceful PML-Q-led campaign to defend President Pervez Musharraf in the face of pressures from his political opponents who will form the next government.

Those attending the get-together included the newly-elected members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, PML-F and NPP. However, former interior minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, who has won only one seat from the platform of his PPP-S, did not turn up although he recently assured the PML leadership of his continued support.

MQM Rabita Committee deputy convener Farooq Sattar declared that the partners in the former coalition government would strengthen their cooperation and function as a combined opposition.

It was difficult to say how many newly elected legislators attended because there was no list of participants, but sources claimed that 39 out of the 41 PML-Q MNAs, 18 of the MQM, two of the PML-F and two of the NPP were present.

Former federal minister Jehangir Tareen and another PML-F legislator did not turn up because of their differences with the PML-Q leadership, the sources said.

An announcement by the MQM to sit in the opposition was seen as major success of the PML-Q because being the second largest parliamentary group in the Sindh assembly, the Muttahida was expected to join the PPP-led coalition government in the province.

However, no formal announcement was made about formation of a combined opposition as had been predicted Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain, brother of the PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, at a news conference on Monday.

A number of sitting senators along with some PML-Q heavyweights who have lost their seats, including Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and Ejazul Haq, were also present.

In his inaugural speech, Chaudhry Shujaat reiterated the resolve of his party to change the unhealthy tradition of creating hurdles for the government and said it would cooperate with the treasury in all its good work and oppose any wrongdoings.

The PML-Q, he said, had decided to sit in opposition and not to do or allow anyone to do anything against national interests.

Former chief minister of Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Ilahi stoutly defended the president and said : “He was elected by the previous assemblies in accordance with the Constitution for five years and we would like to see him complete his tenure.”