Monday, May 5, 2008, Rabi-ul-Sani 28, 1429    

Azeem denies any change of party leadership

Islamabad—Former minister and PML-Q Senator Tariq Azeem has denied any change in the party leadership and claimed that Chaudhry Shujat Hussain would continue as president of the party.

In an interview with the Voice of America, he termed the reports that Chaudhry Shujat was being replaced by other Leaguers, adding that he would complete his tenure as party chief and after the completion of tenure party chief and other office-bearers would be elected through democratic way.

About the judicial crisis the former minister said they also support the re-instatement of deposed judges. He said more than one year has passed but the judges’ issue couldn’t resolve. He said that people have also affected due to the judicial crisis. The minister said that due to the lawyers’ movement and strike cases before the courts are pending and the time of the people who visit the courts are wasted.

He said all the political parties, including the PML-Q want a just solution to the issue. However, he said there might be differences in finding a way out of resolving this problem.

To a question he said so far the resolution documents have not been prepared. No body knows about the text of the resolution and terms and conditions of it, he added.

To another question he said that they had worked with President Pervez Musharraf for five years, adding that today they with contact with him and even consulting with him but the situation on November 03 was different and now the situation has completely changed after the general elections.—NNI