April 08, 2008	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 1, 1429

LAHORE, April 7: The Pakistan Muslim League-Q will end cooperation with the Pakistan People’s Party if violent incidents like the one witnessed in the Sindh Assembly continue, says parliamentary leader of the party Pervaiz Elahi.

Addressing a post-parliamentary party meeting press conference here on Monday, he said the party condemned manhandling of provincial president Arbab Rahim in “strongest terms” and warned the PPP against such incidents.

“The PPP has pledged to empower institutions, especially national and provincial assemblies, but is violating their decorum by resorting to violence. Such duplicity will not only tarnish its image but also risk cooperation with PML-Q,” he said. Flanked by Shujaat Husain and Hamid Nasir Chattha, he said Mohsin Leghari would contest for the speaker slot in the Punjab Assembly. The party would announce its candidate for the office of the deputy speaker on Tuesday (today).

Talking about a forward bloc being carved out of the party by some dissidents, he said: “They are so far a part of the party. They have also been told to return to the party or risk the defection clause. The party is determined to take every defector to task.”

The former chief minister said even those remaining absent without any solid reason would be treated as defectors and proceeded against. The media had been criticising defectors and it must be praised for such a role. Defections must end now, once and for all.

He warned against any “attempt to occupy” Muslim League House in Lahore, saying any such attempt would be resisted. The party would take to the streets if any one tried to force entry into the Muslim League House, he said.

“For the last 37 years, we have been paying bills of the Muslim League House,” he said. “How can it now belong to anyone else?”.