ISLAMABAD, Oct 19: Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the parliamentary leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (Q), said on Saturday that the PML(Q) held sufficient majority to form its government and it would form the new government in Islamabad.

He was briefing the party’s Central Working Committee on his contacts with the parliamentary groups of various political parties.

Earlier, the CWC rejected the resignation of Mian Azhar who had tendered it before as the proceedings started.

However, the party leadership was divided on the matter.

Majeed Malik, the vice president, contended that the resignation should have been submitted to the CWC at least three days before the start of its proceedings to give the mem-bers sufficient time to ponder over it.

As the resignation was presented, Khursheed Mahmood Kasuri jumped on to the stage and joined in chorus by the pro-Mian Azhar group, chanting slogans of na manzoor.

A member of the CWC claimed that only five to six members had supported the motion while all others remained silent.

Gohar Ayub Khan admitted that some senior party leaders, including Chaudhry Shujaat, had advised Mian Azhar to tender his resignation just as a formality with an assurance that the CWC would reject it summarily.

Talking to newsmen, Mian Azhar said that the party had returned his resignation by consensus as in its view the overall party performance in the elections was not poor and his own defeat on both of the seats he had contested did not call for his stepping down.

According to insiders, Chaudhry Shujaat told the CWC that the party would continue its support to the government, indirectly ruling out the possibility of a coalition with the PPP.

During the discussion on the name for the party’s nominee for the prime minister the meeting was again divided in two groups: one was led by Mian Azhar who proposed Mr Kasuri for the top slot while the group led by Chaudhry Shujaat insisted on the name of Zafarullah Khan Jamali.