Compromise unlikely less than Punjab

LAHORE - PML-Q will not compromise less than Punjab if it lends support to PPP at Centre in case more coalition partners part ways from the PPP-led Government, TheNation has learnt. Insiders in PML-Q privy to the plans of party's high command told this scribe on Wednesday that senior party leadership had hinted at its support to PPP in case more coalition partners leave the government. The PML-Q leadership in return for their support to PPP was demanding Punjab, they said. They also told that PML-Q would lead the operation to changing the political guard in Punjab, while PPP would follow the plan of its ally in case the party had to face a storming situation at Centre after Muharram-ul-Harram. It is to be mentioned here that PPP was also facing strain relations with MQM in Karachi, which was its coalition partner in the federal government. To kick start the rehearsal of bringing a change in Punjab, the PML-Q top leadership had directed the leaders of party's provincial chapter for once again engaging the members of Forward Bloc after Ashura. However, senior PML-Q leaders including Kamil Ali Agha and Chaudhry Zaheer-ud-Din claimed while talking to this scribe that many from the Forward Bloc were already in contact with the PML-Q leadership and these contacts according to their claim gained momentum after the development of JUI-F's parting ways from the federal government. It is pertinent to add that leader of PML-Q Chuadhry Moonis Elahi in an exclusive chat with this scribe sometime back had claimed that PML-Q could promise the support of the entire Forward Bloc when the time would arise. He also said that members of the Forward Bloc could not vote for PML-N in Punjab Assembly in case of no-trust motion, as according to the law all those members voting for PML-N would stand disqualified, as they were elected on PML-Q ticket. Insiders informed a meeting regarding preparing a preliminary sketch for power sharing between PML-Q and PPP in Punjab and at Centre was expected after Muharram. They further informed that important parleys between the top leadership of both the parties were expected on the sidelines of upcoming dinner function of Chinese Prime Minister in the federal capital who would be visiting Pakistan this month. This scribe repeatedly contacted senior PML-Q leaders, but none to them was ready to give his on-the-record statement regarding the development occurring in political background of the province. However, they claimed that events at the federal capital were expected to take dramatic changes which include parting of ways of more coalition partners from the PPP-led government. When asked about the differences between PML-Q chief, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and senior party leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi regarding support or power-sharing with PPP, they said the reported differences between the two top leaders in this regard were not of such high importance and they could not become an hindrance in the way of Chaudhary Pervaiz's long ambition to topple the PML-N government in Punjab.

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