April 10, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 3, 1429

ISLAMABAD, April 9: The Central Executive Committee of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q has decided to boycott the proceedings of the national and provincial assemblies in protest against the manhandling of former Sindh chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim and former federal minister Dr Sher Afgan Niazi.

At a briefing after the CEC meeting, PML-Q leaders said they would walk out of the Thursday’s session of the National Assembly after registering their protest against the manhandling.

They said the party had decided to launch a country-wide protest campaign from Thursday to expose the hands behind the wave of violence across the country and incidents of manhandling of party leaders.

They said a four-member committee comprising Nisar A. Memon, Gohar Ayub Khan, S. M. Zafar and Kashmala Tariq would contact the International Parliamentary Union, European Union and Commonwealth to inform them about the situation in Pakistan since the Feb 18 elections.

PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said he had positive talks with PML-F chief Pir Pagara for the unification of some League factions.

He said his party would support any legislation for the freedom of the media.

Without naming Shahbaz Sharif, he said the responsibility for manhandling of Dr Sher Afghan lay with those who were calling the shots.

“Not a single patwari was transferred without his permission as he has been walking as de facto chief minister of the province and it was unthinkable that anything can happen without his order,” he remarked.