ISLAMABAD, Oct 22: While the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is celebrating Mian Manzoor Wattoo’s selection as president of its central Punjab chapter, the Pakistan Muslim League-Q, its main ally, is ‘unhappy’ over the decision.

According to sources in the two parties, unfriendly relations with Manzoor Wattoo and his recent suggestion that the PML-Q should contest next general elections with the PPP’s election symbol (arrow) are said to be main causes of concerns for the Chaudhrys of Gujrat.

PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi called on President Asif Ali Zardari in the presidency on Monday to voice their concerns.

“Chaudhry Shujaat and Deputy Prime Minister Pervaiz Elahi met President Zardari at lunch and discussed a number of issues, including the appointment of Manzoor Wattoo as PPP head in Punjab,” said the president’s spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar.

The sources said President Zardari had decided to appoint Mr Wattoo as chief of central Punjab PPP apparently to acquire a better bargaining position with the PML-Q which was one of the major partners in the ruling coalition with 15 federal ministers and ministers of state.

They said Manzoor Wattoo had floated an idea that because the PPP and PML-Q had decided to jointly contest all coming by-elections and next general election, PML-Q candidates should contest polls with the PPP’s election symbol (arrow).

“The proposal for common election symbol is under consideration but a final decision has not yet been taken,” the president’s spokesman said.

“Having a common election symbol by coalition partners is not a new phenomenon as it had happened in 1996 when different parties contested elections from the platform of the People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) with one election symbol of arrow,” he said.

Referring to Mr Wattoo’s new position, he said it was the sole prerogative of the PPP leadership to appoint any one to any position in the party.

Asked if there was any apprehension about a crack in the alliance between the two parties, he said the situation would not deteriorate to that extent and the PML-Q’s concerns would be addressed. “The president has assured Chaudhry Sahib that Manzoor Wattoo will work with them,” he said.

The sources said the Chaudhrys of Gujrat and Mr Wattoo had not been on cordial terms for several years. Their relations turned sour when a group within former president Gen Musharraf’s team, comprising a number of leaders including Mr Wattoo, tried to remove the Chaudhrys from the then general’s party.

It has also been learnt that Mr Wattoo is trying to persuade some PML-Q leaders to join the PPP.

But, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira denied that Manzoor Wattoo was trying to cause defection in the PML-Q.

PLM-Q spokesman Kamil Ali Agha said he was not aware of any suggestion about the use of arrow symbol by PML-Q candidates, adding that his party would never accept such a proposal.

He did not say much about the PPP’s decision to elevate Mr Wattoo to the key party post in Punjab beyond that it was an internal matter of the PPP.

ASGHAR KHAN CASE: President Zardari and the Chaudhrys of Gujrat also discussed the recent decision of the Supreme Court on Asghar Khan’s petition.

Sources privy to the meeting said that the two leaders were of the view that the FIA should investigate allegations against politicians accused of having received money from the ISI before the 1990 general election, despite PML-N’s opposition.

The meeting was also attended by Law Minister Farooq Naek and senior PPP leader Aitzaz Ahsan.