LAHORE, Dec 15: The PML-Q general council meeting will be held as scheduled on Dec 20 to remove Mian Muhammad Azhar as president and elect Chaudhry Shujaat Husain as his successor, party sources say.

According to sources, Mr Salim Saifullah Khan will be elected as secretary-general.

This was decided at a meeting of the senior PML-Q leaders under the chairmanship of Chaudhry Shujaat Husain here on Sunday.

Before the Dec 20 meeting, some party leaders may call on Mian Azhar to persuade him to step down voluntarily.

According to a press release, the participants decided to resolve the party matters in accordance with the past traditions and constitution of the party.

There is no tradition of any previous meeting having been postponed after once being scheduled, a leader said. “And once the meeting is held, the president has to go,” a leader said.

The meeting, held at the Chief Minister’s House, was also participated in by acting secretary-general Salim Saifullah Khan, Chief Minister and provincial president Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, senior vice-president Gen Majeed Malik, Chaudhry Wajahat Husain, Lala Nisar, Naeem Husain Chattha, Kamil Ali Agha, Imran Masood, Yahya Munawwar, Azeem Chaudhry, Akhtar Rasool and others.

According to a press release, political matters and bye-elections also came under discussion.

On the other hand, PML-Q President Mian Muhammad Azhar is keeping silent after his meeting with President Musharraf. Despite several attempts, he could not be contacted on Sunday. It is said that for the time being he would not offer his comments on any party issue.