LAHORE: Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain of the PML-Q on Monday met with Sirajul Haq of the Jamaat-I-Islami and invited the party to become a part of, what he called, grand alliance, in the post-Panama verdict scenario and for possible electoral collaboration in the next polls.

Mr Hussain, accompanied by representatives of three other parties which have recently formed an alliance -- Majlis-i-Wahdatul Muslimin (MWM), Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) -- visited the JI headquarters Mansoora with the invitation.

The JI, however, suggested constitution of a two-member committee of the party comprising its secretary general Liaqat Baloch and Punjab chief Mian Maqsood Ahmed, to coordinate with the new alliance and weigh the options.

In their post-meeting media talk, both leaders demanded Nawaz Sharif should resign from the office of prime minister to ensure transparent and impartial investigations against him, saying that was essential for the “dignity of the country and the nation”.

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was accompanied by Khuram Nawaz Gandapur, Kamil Ali Agha, Asad Abbas and others.

The two sides discussed at length the situation arising out of the Supreme Court verdict in the Panama Leaks case.

The JI chief termed Nawaz Sharif’s sticking to PM office despite being declared guilty by two SC judges and an “accused” by the other three his stubbornness.

He said Nawaz Sharif would have to ultimately step down as the entire opposition was demanding PM’s resignation. However, he said, a voluntary resignation would be a “respectable course” for Nawaz Sharif.

Shujaat Husain said all the five judges on the bench had held the prime minister an accused and there was no option for him to remain in his office. He said the Supreme Court decision was historic indeed because it had presented a sitting prime minister as a “culprit” before JIT.

He said the opposition wanted to give the nation a line of action against corruption so that no plunderer could escape.

Khurram Nawaz Gandapur said that the PML-Q would join the alliance against corruption no matter who led it.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2017