September 16, 2008	Tuesday	Ramazan 15, 1429

LAHORE, Sept 15: Punjab PML-Q President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is inviting the MPAs of his party in the provincial legislature to an Iftar-dinner at his residence on Wednesday with the main objective of assessing the party position after the emergence of a forward bloc.

Some two dozen PML-Q legislators who have been attending the parliamentary party meetings of the rival PML-N would not be invited, a senior leader said here on Monday.

The PML-Q had won 84 seats in the Punjab Assembly in the Feb 18 election. However, cracks appeared in the party as 48 legislators supported the PML-N and PPP presidential candidates on Sept 6, violating the party policy.

Now that the PPP and the PML-Q are getting closer and are expected to form a coalition, the latter is trying to assess its position in the Punjab Assembly.

Party leaders claim that many of those who had violated the party policy at the time of the presidential election are returning to the PML-Q fold. However, the position would become clear tomorrow.

To mount pressure on the pro-PML-N elements that they should return to the party fold, the PML-Q leadership has decided to move references against them. Initially, references would be moved only against two people and based on the outcome of these references, the policy about the remaining people would be decided.