The bewilderment that gripped the Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) on the polling day and before it was further intensified by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)'s decision to commit support to the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) nominee for the premier's slot and some other key developments. “The MQM's decision to withdraw its candidate from the contest for the office of the prime minister is basically related to its compulsions in Karachi and Hyderabad,” a senior PML-Q leader told Saudi Gazette. Certainly, he said, the PML-Q faced embarrassment because of the MQM's move. “More shocking for us was that the MQM had taken the decision to pull out from the contest even before consulting us.” The PML-Q leader believed that the MQM might have consulted President Pervez Musharraf before pledging support to the PPP nominee. PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari's telephonic conversation with MQM supremo Altaf Hussain the other day was viewed as a masterstroke. It not only further isolated the pro-Musharraf PML-Q but would also help maintain peace and tranquility in Karachi by having the MQM on board. As if this was a lesser shock and mortification for the PML-Q, its senior leader Hamid Nasir Chattha's refusal to be leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly turned out to another bombshell. The PML-Q was likely to enjoy some confidence at the Punjab level had Chattha stuck to his earlier decision to accept the position. Another development that has rocked the PML-Q is the massive floor crossing by its MPs in Balochistan, who, with the hope of getting a significant share of the cake, have vowed to support the PPP cardholder for the position of the chief minister. The PML-Q, which emerged as the largest party in the Balochistan Assembly, has thus lost the chance to form the coalition government. The overall demoralization besetting the party has been mainly responsible for a string of setbacks. However, what is most striking as far as the PML-Q is concerned is that its main owners, the Chaudhrys of Gujrat (Shujaat and Pervez Elahi), continue to pledge that they would be playing the role of the opposition and would not leave the field open. Their performance and role would be crucial for the PML-Q as well as the president as the new coalition government would enjoy more than two-thirds majority. __
