LAHORE, Dec 9: PML-Q President Mian Azhar on Monday advised Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali to keep the tragic example of the exiled Sharifs in mind while dealing with President Pervez Musharraf.

In case the premier undermined the position of the country’s president as he had done in the case of his party president by blatantly flouting the party constitution and nominating his own successor as secretary-general, the consequences could not be different, an enraged Mian Azhar warned.

Talking to Dawn, he reiterated that while stepping down as secretary-general to take over as prime minister, Mr Jamali had no power to appoint NWFP’s Salim Saifullah Khan as his successor. “This is like a tenant handing over a rented building to somebody of his own choice, without the consent of the landlord.”

Mian Azhar claimed that Chaudhry Shujaat Husain and Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi also regarded nomination of Mr Saifullah as “unconstitutional.” He said at a meeting with him on Sunday the Chaudhris had told him that they were not a party to the decision.

The Chaudhris, according to the PML-Q chief, had told him that after being nominated to the party’s key post, Mr Saifullah had visited them at their Islamabad residence and informed them about the premier’s decision. However, they did not give him any immediate reaction, Mian Azhar quoted them as saying.

“I am satisfied with the stance taken by the Chaudhris.”

He reiterated that the post of the secretary-general was still vacant after Mr Jamali relinquished the charge and he would appoint a suitable person for the job in consultation with senior party leaders in a few days.

Mian Azhar said other party leaders could only recommend somebody, but as a president, it was his prerogative to make any appointment.

He said the prime minister should have set a personal example of adhering to the party constitution in letter and spirit. But, he regretted, that he had not set a good precedent by transgressing his powers.

When it was pointed out that no important party leader had protested against the alleged violation of the party constitution by the prime minister, Mian Azhar said most of the leaders who had met him had endorsed the view that Mr Jamali had no authority to appoint an acting secretary-general.

He said it was possible that most leaders were not expressing their views on the subject because they were expecting cabinet jobs or tickets for the ensuing Senate elections. “Nobody has termed Mr Jamali’s step as constitutional,” argued the PML-Q chief.

Replying to a question, he said his party had decided to seek MMA’s cooperation, not of the PPP’s forward bloc, to set up its government at the centre. If unavoidable, the forward bloc should have joined the government, not vice versa.

He said when the PML-Q leaders were still holding cooperation talks with the MMA, they could have explored the possibility earlier as well.

When it was pointed out that as party president he had played no role whatsoever in getting his party support for the formation of government, Mian Azhar said the task of negotiations had been assigned to Chaudhry Shujaat.

As for the induction of ministers and allotment of portfolios, he said the power rested with the prime minister. Mr Jamali should have accommodated more PML-Q legislators in the cabinet.

He claimed that because of over-representation of the PPP dissidents in the cabinet, many elected leaders had phoned him to ask whether the setup led by Mr Jamali was that of the PML-Q or the PPP. “I appreciate the feeling of party leaders and workers.”

Replying to a question, he said he saw no justification for the PPP dissidents’ presence in the cabinet. Thus, he said, it was now for Mr Jamali to think how should the PML-Q leaders and workers be compensated.

He said he would advise the Punjab chief minister to uphold the party interests while selecting his cabinet.

About efforts being made by his party leaders to form a government in Sindh, Mian Azhar said he was quite satisfied with their efforts. The party, he said, had been directed to work in cooperation with the National Alliance.

He dismissed as disinformation reports that he was in contact with the exiled Sharifs or had ever talked to them directly or indirectly. He said he was prepared to confront the so-called evidence available with some leaders, as reported by a section of the press.

Asked whether the new government should allow the Sharifs to come back to the country, he said on their return the exiled family would have to face cases pending against them.

“Nobody had asked them to leave the country,” Mian Azhar said, implying that the Sharifs had accepted banishment on their own.