LAHORE, Aug 7: Ruling out the possibility of conciliation with the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) or its leadership, PML (Quaid-i-Azam) president Mian Muhammad Azhar declared here on Wednesday his party would fight the October elections against them.

“There is no chance of a patch-up. We are not opposed to them [as persons]. We had differences on principles [which are still there], he told a news conference here.

He said he would have no objection to estranged leader Ejazul Haq’s challenging the results of party elections. If the chief election commissioner so ordered, he said, the party would hold elections anew. According to official PML(QA) version Mian Azhar had defeated the former president’s son with a big margin.

Sikandar Hayat Malhi, Mian Muhammad Munir, Tariq Aziz and Mian Meraj Din were also present at the news conference.

The PML(QA) president said he had social contact with the new PML(N) president but this did not mean the two were about to join hands. He said there was a yawning gap in their approach to politics. The Sharifs, he said, were accustomed to taking all decision, including those concerning the party and governance, within the family while the PML(QA) referred all matters to the party executive.

He said the main contest would be between the PML(QA) and the Pakistan People’s Party.

He said his party was in contact with the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, the Sindh Democratic Alliance, the National Alliance, the Pakistan People’s Party (Sherpao group) and the Pakistan Awami Tehrik to explore the possibility of electoral cooperation.

Mian Azhar told a questioner the impression that the PML(QA) was playing the King’s party was wrong. As for reports that the bureaucracy seemed more accommodative towards the PML(QA) supporters, he said the officials were required to solve the problems faced by people irrespective of their political affiliation.

He did not agree with the suggestion that the PPP would benefit from rift in the PML. The myth of the PML(N) vote bank, he said, had been exploded in the local elections.

Replying to a question he said his party would ratify any package of constitutional amendments approved by the Musharraf government. To another question, he said Gen Musharraf should remain president in the larger interest of the country. However, he said, it was for the new assemblies to decide that. “We’ll have no objection if he stays for another five years.”

About the role of the National Security Council, Mian Azhar said it should only be an advisory body. He told another questioner that the parliament should have the right to elect prime minister and he should not be nominated by the president.