ISLAMABAD, May 16: PML-N acting parliamentary leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has claimed that several members of the ruling party are in contact with the major opposition parties. Talking to reporters at the Parliament House on Monday, the PML-N leader said a significant number of PML-Q MNAs had requested the speaker to change their seats, as they did not want to sit on treasury benches.

The PML-N leader said he had the reports that the treasury members were also in contact with the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP), as they knew that the PML-Q ship was about to sink.

Mr Nisar bitterly criticized Gen Pervez Musharraf for convening a meeting of the PML-Q in an effort to resolve the crisis within the party. He said convening a meeting of the politicians by a serving army general was not only a violation of the country’s constitution but it was an insult to the politicians.

The PML-N leader said those who recognized Gen Musharraf as the president of the country should know that under the constitution, the president had no political role and he should treat all political parties evenly.

Mr Nisar regretted that some people were “polluting the politics and democracy in Pakistan by using sacred army uniform.” He said it had been proved that the PML-Q was not a political party but a group of people gathered on one platform by the hidden forces.

The PML-N leader said neither Gen Musharraf nor his uniform would be able to save the PML-Q ship from sinking. He said the ruling PML-Q was facing a serious crisis and soon the nation would witness its disintegration.

Earlier, Chaudhry Nisar presided over a meeting of the party’s parliamentary group in the Parliament House.

MNA Sahibzada Fazal Karim highlighted the incident in which police baton-charged and tortured the participants of a peaceful rally organized by the PML-N in Lahore on May 11.

Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasir criticized the government for not taking steps to provide safety and protection to the people of Balochistan. The MNA expressed his serious concern over the worsening law and order situation in Balochistan.