May 06, 2008	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 29, 1429

LAHORE, May 5: Pakistan Muslim League-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has said that a controversy over the party’s leadership will not affect its policies or relationship with the presidency.

He said at a press conference here on Monday that ‘arguments’ about party offices were part of the democratic process and they should not be taken as differences which could split the party.

Accompanied by Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and other leaders, Cahudhry Shujaat denied that there was any pressure on him from the presidency to quit the party leadership.

He said the presidency was not the forum to take such decisions and only the PML-Q general council could discuss the party set-up.

“Hamid Nasir Chattha, who is being projected as a hopeful for the post of the party’s president, was with us in a meeting today and he did not mention the issue,” Chaudhry Shujaat said.

He said his recent meetings with President Pervez Musharraf were “routine meetings to discuss the prevailing political situation”.

He said that the PML-Q would field candidates for all seats in the by-elections.

Chaudhry Shujaat and Chaudhry Pervaiz said they would sue the people who were levelling allegations against them of taking benefits from the Bank of Punjab. “Neither we nor any family member or business of ours got any loan from the bank,” they said.

Chaudhry Pervaiz alleged that PML-N leader Shahbaz Sharif was a defaulter of Rs9 billion in two cases and said he would not be able to contest the by-election if he did not clear the dues.

“If any harm comes to the Bank of Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif should be held responsible,” he said.

He said the bank was facing Rs240 million annual operational losses when he had taken over. “Last year, it earned Rs14 billion profit. The professional team made this turnaround possible.”

He alleged that the president of the bank was being punished because he had refused to move against the Chaudhry family under pressure from the Sharif brothers.