PML-N won’t get seat outside Punjab in Senate polls

PML-Q President Shujaat Hussain has said the PML-N will not manage to get any seats outside the Punjab in the Senate polls whereas the PML-Q will successfully manage to bag representation in every province. “I had advised Nawaz Sharif during his tenure as prime minister to avoid being proud and not to pay any heed to liars and sycophants, but he turned a deaf ear which eventually led to his fall,” said Shujaat while talking to the media on Sunday at a reception hosted by former PPP MPA Shabina Riaz Sheikh and her husband, a close confidant of President Asif Zardari, Ahmed Riaz Sheikh, over the acquittal of Moonis Elahi from court. It was the first interaction of the central cadre of both parties — previously rivals — with the media in Lahore after coming up in coalition. Pervaiz Elahi, the former chief minister, Senator Jehangir Badr, the PPP Secretary General, Governor Sardar Latif Khosa, PML-Q leaders including Basharat Raja, Ch Zaheeruddin, federal minister Manzoor Wattoo, Evacuee Trust Property Board Chairman Syed Asif Hashmi, Ch Shafaat Hussain, Naveed Chaudhry, Qasim Zia, PM’s son Abdul Qadir Gilani, Aurangzeb Burki, Khurram Latif Khosa and a large number of members from both sides attended the reception. To a query about the recent interview of President Zardari, Shujaat stated that the positive thing was the use of word ‘we’ by the president instead of ‘I’. He said Nawaz Sharif and even Musharraf were advised by him to avoid arrogance. To another question about the unification of the Muslim League and his chance of meeting with PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, he said that like other leaders, he would also meet Nawaz at the moot. “Does anyone trust Nawaz Sharif?” replied Shujaat when asked to comment over the statement of the PML-N leadership that the party didn’t trust Zardari anymore. He said he had discussed the Senate elections with the president and dates for the polls would be announced soon. Regarding the memo issue, he said the PML-N would continue to live in a dream world without realising that dreams were dreams, not reality. To a query about the revelation made by President Zardari during his interview that in 1989, Benazir Bhutto had a dialogue with the Chaudhrys while she was the prime minister, Shujaat confirmed it but stated that the process later got postponed. Shujaat went on to say that the ‘champions of justice’ should also cite the example of the court that had acquitted Moonis Elahi. He said when Moonis was under detention, there were suggestions from lawyers to get bail but Moonis insisted on fighting the case and was finally acquitted of all charges. Governor Sardar Latif Khosa, in his address, congratulated the PML-Q leadership on the acquittal of Moonis Elahi and called for legislation over the registration of fake cases against a person. He said Asif Zardari was kept in prison for 11 years but nothing was proved against him and similarly, Moonis Elahi, who was proven innocent, remained in captivity for nearly a year. He said in the case of Moonis, an investigation officer was appointed again and again while Moonis’ constant media trial was carried out as if he was the biggest culprit in the country. PPP Secretary General Jehangir Badr said that democracy was the only purpose of the PPP and it would continue to make efforts to strengthen it. He said in the past, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif had left no stone unturned to target the PPP leadership but for the sake of democracy, it forgot bitterness and signed the ‘Charter of Democracy’. He also said that Musharraf had offered PPP Co-chairman Zardari to form governments in all the provinces and Centre and let him continue to hold the office of president but he not only managed to form provincial governments but also forced Musharraf to quit the presidency in a democratic way. Federal Minister Manzoor Wattoo said it was the fruit of democracy that there wasn’t a single political prisoner in the country contrary to the past, when victimisation of politicians was quite common. Criticising the PML-N leadership, he said politicians full of vanity were isolated whereas all democratic forces had joined hands to save the country. INP adds: Chaudhry Shujaat said self-centred politics had damaged Pervez Musharraf and Nawaz Sharif, while President Asif Ali Zardari was the only politician who used the word ‘we’ instead of ‘me,’ as used by Nawaz and Musharraf. “When Nawaz Sharif was elected as a prime minister, a number of flatterers gathered around him at a function. I came out of the function and later told Nawaz Sharif to avoid flatterers, hypocrisy and habitual use of the word ‘me’ if he wants to become a successful prime minister, but he never paid any heed and was shown the door,” Shujaat added. Similarly, the PML-Q chief said, he also conveyed to Musharraf through General Ihsan to avoid repeated use of word ‘me’ but he too never paid any heed. About the possibility of early polls, Chaudhry Shujaat said there was no ban on Nawaz Sharif having such dreams. “If Musharraf wants to come back to Pakistan, he is most welcome,” he added. To another question, Chaudhry Shujaat said there had been contacts with the PPP in 1989, but no progress was made. “Moonis Elahi was released after facing the courts and going through the due process of law,” he added. NNI adds: PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Sunday telephoned President Asif Ali Zardari to discuss the current political situation, especially the upcoming Senate polls. According to sources, the current political situation of the country and Senate elections came under discussion during the telephonic conversation between Ch Shujaat and President Zardari. Both leaders also discussed cases being heard by the courts and the demand by other political parties for early elections, sources added.