LAHORE, Dec 27: Mian Mohammad Azhar on Friday resigned as president of the ruling PML-Q, ostensibly under pressure from the powers which had installed him in the seat first in March last year and then got him re-elected in July this year in intra-party elections, which had been declared mandatory for every party desirous of contesting the general elections.

In a nine-line letter addressed to the members of the central working committee, Azhar said that to save the party from disunity and workers and legislators from embarrassment, he had decided to resign as party chief.

But, the letter said, he would continue to play his role to safeguard the rights of the workers, strengthen the party, and fight the war against corruption.

Party leaders believe that Mian Azhar’s resignation marks his political demise.

Mian Azhar’s decision has come at a time when he is left with few sympathisers in the party, which has always stood on the right side of the power. Even those who stood with him like his shadow, have now distanced themselves from him.

For the time being, Mian Azhar says he has no other plans, except working as an ordinary worker. He rejected reports that he had been offered some ambassadorial assignment.

After losing elections on both his NA seats, Azhar had come under pressure to step down. As he had lost control over the party he appointed Chaudhry Shujaat Husain parliamentary party leader.

The prime minister’s unilateral decision to nominate Salim Saifullah Khan as acting secretary-general caused further embarrassment to the PML-Q president and his loud cries, that the step was unconstitutional, were ignored.

To humiliate him further, the party requisitioned a general council meeting to remove him through a no-confidence motion.

Had Gen Musharraf not intervened, Azhar would have been voted out on Dec 20.

Knowledgeable sources say that Mian Azhar had sought a face saver before tendering his resignation. It was in this context that the general council meeting was called off, the no-trust motion against him taken back and the election of Salim Saifullah as unopposed secretary-general was not given effect.

Mian Azhar was to have stepped down on Dec 25, but he sought some more time — until Dec 30 — to be able to give the impression that he was bowing out voluntarily.

The resignation on Friday was celebrated by anti-Azhar people in the party, and the PML-N leaders, who blame him for being responsible for Sharifs’ ouster.