ECP restores Chaudhry Shujaat as PML-Q president

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday restored Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as the president of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).

The electoral body announced the verdict on a petition filed by Shujaat Hussain amid an ongoing tussle with his cousin Parvez Elahi over party leadership. The commission declared Shujaat Hussain’s dismissal as contradictory to the party’s constitution.

A five-member ECP bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja rejected the PML-Q Central Working Committee’s decision to remove Shujaat Hussain from the party presidency. The petition was filed by the former premier in July last.

Accepting Shujaat Hussain’s plea, the ECP also declared the PML-Q intra-party elections as illegal. The PML-Q got divided into two groups over the issue of joining hands with the PTI and PML-N. Parvez Elahi and his son Moonis Elahi joined hands with Imran Khan while Chaudhry Shujaat, his son Chaudhry Salik and former federal minister in the PTI government supported the PML-N.

The election body also declared PML-Q’s election schedule null and void.

On January 26, the general council meeting of PML-Q’s splinter group decided to remove Shujaat as party president. Following the removal, the party council appointed Wajahat Hussain as the new president. However ECP’s decision in favour of Chaudhry Shujaat has given a major blow to Wajahat Hussain and Elahi.