LAHORE, July 8 The unopposed election of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as PML-Q provincial president on Wednesday only proves that the Chaudhrys are bent upon keeping it all in the family, in a way formalising 'Gujrat Group' within the party.

That is how Humayun Akhter Khan of the Q-dissident group responded to the election.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Khan said the election had only vindicated the position of dissidents.He said the 'show of strength', however, proved disastrous for the Chaudhrys as no mentionable political figure except for former president Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari was present there. No member of the national or provincial assembly was seen there, not even the union council members, Khan added. People were transported from Gujrat to make the show respectable, but it only formalised the formation of 'Gujrat Group' within the PML-Q, he said.

Flanked by MNA Kashmala Tariq, Mr Khan said the election was only another step in violation of party rules and regulations.

“The PML-Q leadership admitted that it needed to amend the part of (party) constitution for allowing third time stint to Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and national press carried the story on June 29. Now the chief electioneer (Senator Kamil Ali Agha) says that constitution allows third time presidentship.”

These were glaring contradictions, which only breed confusion and prove that the party was on “unconstitutional path,” he said.

He denied that he wrote to the Election Commission for pre-empting the party elections. “It was only a piece of information for the EC that party has lost its way,” he said and added “We read only in a section of press that the EC was contemplating any action. We, as a party, are not aware of any punitive process or step by the Election Commissioner. For us, it is political battle, to be fought politically.”

Sindh chapter of the party has already refused elections, citing its legality vis-à-vis constitution. It was a show limited to Punjab, rather to Gujrat, he said.