ISLAMABAD: Cracks in the ranks of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q widened on Sunday when president of the party’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter Amir Muqam who had taken oath on May 2 as minister of production submitted his resignation from the cabinet to the chief of his party, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. Talking to journalists, Mr Muqam said he had taken the extreme step in line with a decision of the party’s provincial general council taken last week because of the failure of the party leadership to meet the promise of sharing with them the written agreement signed with the Pakistan People’s Party.
The PML-Q leader said when negotiations were being held with PPP the party leadership had assured him that their demands for creation of Hazara province and introduction of political reforms in tribal areas would be made part of the agreement with the PPP.
However, he said, the party leadership had not shown him the agreement, forcing him to submit the resignation.
He said he had also informed the leadership about his reservations on other issues. But, he added, he would continue to abide by party decisions and discipline.
The PML-Q leader said that President Asif Ali Zardari had called him earlier in the day and asked him to withdraw his resignation.
Talking to a group of reporters later in the day, PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain claimed there was no rift within the party and that Mr Muqam’s reservations would soon be redressed.
He said Mr Muqam had abided by the party discipline by handing over the resignation to him, instead of sending it directly to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
Replying to a question, the PML-Q chief said that agreements were not necessarily always written and they were reached verbally, thus clearly indicating that there had been no written agreement between the PPP and the PML-Q.
In reply to another question, Chaudhry Shujaat said the party had decided to join the ruling coalition “in the best national interest” and after carrying out an “extensive consultative process” within the party.
The Chaudhrys of Gujrat are facing a difficult situation because some of the recently-inducted PML-Q ministers were unhappy with what they term their “lowly portfolios” and they have also threatened to resign if their portfolios are not changed.
There is a feeling within a section of the party that the PPP had given them ministries which are set to be devolved to provinces under the 18th Constitution Amendment by the end of next month.
Last week, the prime minister had to change the portfolio of Riaz Pirzada from minorities affairs to health on the request of the Chaudhrys.
Mr Muqam, who was among the seven PML-Q men who had taken oath from President Zardari on May 2 as the federal minister, had threatened last week to resign from the cabinet and given a one-week deadline for the Chaudhrys to meet his demands.
Speaking at the general council of the party’s KP and Fata chapters on May 8, Mr Muqam had asked the party leadership to call a meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee to get its approval of the decision to join the PPP-led ruling coalition.
This is the demand being made by dissidents within the party who have been criticising the Chaudhrys for deciding to join the government in haste, without taking party workers and office-bearers into confidence.
Mr Muqam, who is apparently unhappy over bifurcation of the Ministry of Industries and Production and induction of some of his opponents in the cabinet, has also said that the PML-Q would not sit with the Awami National Party in the provincial assembly.
During the last session of the National Assembly, PML-Q MNAs Marvi Memon and Awais Leghari submitted applications to the Speaker for allocation of their seats on opposition benches.
Another group of five dissidents besides members of the breakaway faction of the PML-Q known as “like-minded” has also submitted an application to the Senate chairman for separate seats and has refused to sit on treasury benches.
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