No deal yet with PPP, says Shujaat

Published October 23, 2002

LAHORE, Oct 22: PML-Q parliamentary leader Chaudhry Shujaat Husain says no understanding has been reached with the PPP on the formation of the federal government.

Talking to reporters at the Pakistan Awami Tehrik central office here on Tuesday, he said any agreement with the PPP would be on the basis of principles.

“We will not go alone with the PPP as we have 20 years long differences with it. Any decision to sit with the PPP will be taken only if other parties will also be included in the coalition,” he asserted.

Mr Husain along with Chaudhry Pervez Elahi had come to meet PAT chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri.

About cooperation with the PML-N, he said the party (PML-N) had no clear policy in this regard though we wished to move jointly.

He also rejected the division of religious and non-religious parties and said that they too had Islamic thinking and wanted to gather all such forces on one platform.

Answering a question, Dr Qadri said he was not aspiring to become prime minister.

Later, the three leaders held a closed-door meeting which was continuing till the filing of this report at 10pm.