ISLAMABAD, March 9: Pakistan People’s Party’s bid to win the election for the post of the Senate chairman suffered a setback on Monday when Pakistan Muslim League-Q leadership nominated its chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as its candidate.

The move indicated that backdoor efforts of reconciliation between the two parties had not reached any conclusion.

Sources claimed that a section of the establishment was unhappy over President Asif Ali Zardari’s decision to nominate Law Minister Farooq H. Naek for the post.

The nomination has also not been welcomed by some senior party leaders, among them Leader of the House in Senate Raza Rabbani who has resigned from the post and as the federal minister for inter-provincial affairs.

According to the sources, the PML-Q had demanded the Senate chairman’s post as a pre-condition for joining the ruling coalition.

However, negotiations between the two parties would continue for the Senate post as well as the Punjab chief minister’s slot, they said.

Although the PML-Q had sought the post of the chief minister, most of its leaders believed that the federal government had no intention to lift governor’s rule in the near future, they said.

The sources said some PML-Q leaders viewed the nomination of Mr Naek as a ‘breach of trust’ and ‘dishonouring’ a commitment made by the PPP.

PML-Q information secretary Tariq Azeem said: “Top leadership of the party met today and unanimously passed a resolution recommending the name of Chaudhry Shujaat for the post. However, a final decision in this regard will be made on Wednesday.

“But, in any case, we will nominate our candidate and contest the polls.”

Mr Azeem claimed the PML-Q had the support of several other parties, including some allies of the PPP. “We will give a tough time to the PPP in the election.”

PML-Q sources said the party had also nominated outgoing Deputy Chairman of Senate Jan Mohammad Jamali for the same post.

They said the PPP had offered not to field its candidate for the office of deputy chairman after nominating Mr Naek for the chairman’s post.

However, such a decision might offend Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman, who says his party had been promised the post of deputy chairman before the presidential election, sources said.

The election of the Senate chairman will be held on March 12.

The PPP is the largest party in the house with 28 seats and the coalition led by it has a majority.
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