ISLAMABAD: Law Minister Babar Awan's meeting with Ch Pervaiz Elahi has virtually created an internal turmoil in the PML-Q as Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat-led camp within the party has threatened to part ways from the Chaudhrys of Gujrat, background discussions reveal.
The critics of Chaudhrys of Gujrat say that the Bank of Punjab scandal has allegedly caused sleepless nights to Pervaiz Elahi and his son, Moonis, a scam in which Babar Awan and Pervaiz Elahi are facing multiple allegations. "It was a meeting of like-minded people who shared same troubles and same threats," said a party lawmaker with reference to Babar-Pervaiz issues with the bank.
The Monday night's meeting has put the Chaudhrys on the defensive as they have beenconstantly asked to explain to party colleagues why they made the move. They have assured that they would take the party into confidence before any decision, a fact confirmed by more than three party leaders. Chaudhry brothers were not available for comments when approached.
However, majority of the party MNAs are reluctant to trust any word of consolation from their leadership and are instead insisting on Pervaiz Elahi to publicly explain his position and commit that no such meeting would be held in future that could spark speculations.
Although, Faisal, who is the party's parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, is reluctant to come out publicly as yet a PML-Q MNA said Faisal was giving tough time to Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and had told him in categorical terms that they won't be staying together in case of any further meetings with the PPP leaders.
Faisal, in a guarded conversation, told our sources that the alliance with the PPP was out of question. He, however, admitted that the meeting had sparked wild speculations.
According to him, the PPP government's massive corruption is the biggest hurdle in the way of any alliance. Faisal who has moved the Supreme Court on the controversial Rental Power Plants (RPPs) deal said it would be a ridiculous idea to join hands with a party that had been taken to court on corruption allegations. "Joining hands mean we will become partners in crime. Are we?"
Asked about his contacts with the leadership after Babar-Pervaiz meeting, Faisal refused to divulge the details, terming it an issue within the party.
However, leaders known for their close affiliation with Faisal said that the Chaudhrys had been trying to calm him down since the meeting. But Faisal and a group of party MNAs were not ready to accept any explanation less than a public statement in unequivocal terms from Pervaiz Elahi.
It has been learnt that majority of the party lawmakers were kept in the dark before this meeting and they only came to know through TV channels. The party received yet another strong blow when Pervaiz Elahi's previous hard-hitting speeches were telecast on Geo TV's Kamran Khan Show.
"There could have been no moment of more shame for us in general and for Pervaiz Elahi in particular," commented an MNA. One of the lawmakers, who was among those who defected from the PPP in 2002 under the leadership of Faisal, said that they were badly disappointed with the Chaudhrys' role as party leaders. He said that more than 10 MNAs were ready to join Musharraf's newly-formed party and this mass defection was only stopped by Faisal's intervention.
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