ISLAMABAD, May 5: Pakistan Muslim League-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said on Saturday that competent leadership could take the country out of any crisis and that early elections would serve no purpose.

Talking to media personnel after a book-launching ceremony at the Islamabad Club, Mr Hussain said a long march aimed at forcing the early ouster of the coalition government would not succeed. The general election would take place in May next year. He said every party should ask its workers to prepare for the elections.

Asked about the resolution moved in the National Assembly that called for creation of the ‘southern Punjab province’, he said very soon the PML-Q would move a similar resolution calling for the creation of Hazara province in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Responding to a question regarding the status of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani following his conviction in the contempt case, Mr Hussain said: “Let the detailed judgment (on the matter) be released by the Supreme Court. We will decide about our future course of action after going through the detailed judgment.”

He agreed with a journalist’s suggestion that the delay in the release of the detailed judgment was adding to the confusion prevailing in the country. He said the Supreme Court should issue the judgment as soon as possible.

The PML-Q chief said the PML-N was already pondering over ways to wriggle out of its call for a long march. He said that Mian Nawaz Sharif should avoid confrontation and refrain from destabilising the country.

Mr Hussain described Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani’s recent statement, in which the army chief urged all organs of state to avoid crossing the boundaries prescribed in the Constitution for them, as a warning to all stakeholders. “Therefore, no one should adopt a path of confrontation.”

Asked if his party would name a candidate for the prime minister’s office if Mr Gilani resigned, the PML-Q chief said the PPP had the right to appoint the chief executive.

By Ahmad Hassan