The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday declared that Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain is the president of the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid) and has not been removed from the post, as had been attempted by a grouping in the party led by Parvez Elahi.
In its ruling, which had been reserved on Aug. 18, the electoral watchdog said the PMLQ Central Working Committee (CWC)’s attempt to remove Shujaat as party chief had been illegal and declared it null and void. It said the party elections announced by the central committee were also null and void.
In July 2022, the PML-Q’s CWC had attempted to oust Shujaat as party president, with Senator Kamil Ali Agha—who led the meeting—claiming it was necessary due to the former prime minister’s deteriorating health. “It has become necessary to isolate Chaudhry Shujaat to save the party from destruction,” Agha had told media after the CWC meeting. The same moot had also decided to oust Tariq Bashir Cheema, the party’s general secretary and a federal minister, from its ranks, and constituted an election body to hold intra-party polls.
However, Shujaat had refused to accept the power-play—reportedly staged at the behest of former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi—and had approached the ECP against it. The electoral watchdog had then allowed Shujaat to continue as the party president until his petition had been resolved.
The PMLQ has been divided into distinct camps since the vote of no-confidence that saw the ouster of PTI chief Imran Khan, with Shujaat heading the group that has allied with the ruling coalition and Elahi leading the bloc that wishes to ally with the PTI. Senior PMLQ leaders Elahi, his son Moonis, and several others have sided with the PTI, while Shujaat, Salik Hussain and Cheema have supported the PMLN.
Last week, prior to the ECP’s ruling, the PMLQ’s pro-PTI bloc once again attempted to sideline Shujaat and Cheema, with a meeting of the party electing Wajahat Hussain as its central president, while retaining Elahi as the party’s Punjab president. However, the decision was contested by the Shujaat camp, which claimed the meeting was illegal and “fake” members had been used to claim mass support.