Shujaat, Fazl take up issues with Zardari

ISLAMABAD:

                        President Asif Ali Zardari Wednesday met separately with two political leaders including PML-Q chief Senator Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman and exchanged views with them on the political situation in the country.

According to the informed sources, President Zardari took them on board over PPP’s decision to restore Local Government Ordinance 2001 in Karachi and Hyderabad to woo back MQM, and Sindh government efforts to restore the system through out the Sindh province.

The sources said they also discussed the idea of creating Saraiki province and the President took them on board over efforts being made in this connection.

Meanwhile, some sources claimed that PML-Q chief has renewed party’s demand to make Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as Deputy Prime Minister as agreed before PML-Q joined the ruling coalition.

According to the informed sources, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain made it clear to the President that PML-Q joined the government on the condition that Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi would be made Deputy prime Minister instead of senior minister.

PML-Q Chief said that if the government did not realise the demands of PML-Q, this could put the future alliance in danger.

President Asif Ali Zardari assured the PML-Q chief that both the pledges would be met after consultation with other parties in the coalition government. He said that the matter regarding the deputy prime minister is a constitutional subject and it would take some time. However, this could not be immediately confirmed from the PML-Q quarters.