ISLAMABAD, Aug 20 Pakistan Muslim League-Q, the ruling party until a year and a half ago, split into two factions on Thursday when some of its heavyweights, headed by Hamid Nasir Chattha, declared their group as the 'real' Q-League and the one led by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as fake and illegal.
The party's general council of 2006 requisitioned by the faction elected Mr Chattha as ad hoc chairman, Salim Saifullah Khan as president and Humayun Akhtar Khan as secretary general till new elections are scheduled by a steering committee headed by Mian Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri.
A resolution adopted at the meeting said the party would function under “collective leadership to overcome the host of problems confronting the nation, including the most critical issues of lack of good governance, economic recession and law and order”.
Addressing the council, Mr Chattha demanded that the United States should leave the region, including Afghanistan, to enable the people to solve their problems on their own. “You have to pay us more money for the losses that we have suffered due to the war on terror and it will be better that you leave us alone.”
Salim Saifullah said he was ready to resign if Chaudhry Shujaat also agreed to quit the party post for the sake of unity. But he accused Chaudhry Shujaat of violating the party's constitution and said he could not be trusted to safeguard the country's Constitution.
Addressing the meeting from abroad, former chief minister of Sindh Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim supported the creation of the anti-Chaudhrys faction.
The PML-Q was formed by Leaguers who deserted the PML-N when its government was removed in 1999. PML factions led by Ijazul Haq, Mian Manzoor Wattoo and Hamid Nasir Chattha joined the party in 2004 and Sardar Farooq Leghari's Millat Party also merged into it.
The faction led by the Chaudhrys has the support of Mr Leghari, while Ijazul Haq has not taken sides and Mr Wattoo has joined the Pakistan People's Party.
Both the PML-Q factions now claim to have held meetings of the 1,500-member general council and got their actions endorsed.
The new faction appears to be tilting in favour of the PML-N.
“We accept our mistake of siding with the dictator and his cronies who caused damage to superior judiciary and who were responsible for the Lal Masjid episode and we will also seek apology from the people of Balochsitan for excesses meted out to them by the previous regime,” Humayun Akhtar said.
The meeting was also attended by Kabir Ali Wasti, MNA Kashmala Tariq and Dr Tahir Ali Javed.
Ata Mohammad Manika, leader of the PML-Q dissident group (forward bloc) in Punjab Assembly, announced its support for the Chattha faction.