ISLAMABAD PML-Q leadership that has been striving hard to unite all its members even the elected ones, has recently foiled another attempt to hijack Ch Shujaat-led party while turning down some of its members demand that Ch Shujaat Huassain should step down from the PML-Q chairmanship in favour of the former President Gen (R) Pervez Musharraf. Background discussions with some of the Q leaguers on condition of anonymity revealed that a number of elected and non- elected members of PML-Q from different areas of the country including those who had been appointed as ministers during the PML-Q tenure recently met with Ch Shujaat Hussain and advised him to let the former dictator lead the party. They further told that these members held meetings with Musharraf abroad. Later, they met PML-Q President Ch Shujaat Hussain and tried to convince him with regard to extending support to Musharrafs return to Pakistan and withdraw as president of the party in Musharrafs favour. Chaudhry Sahib sat with them and listened to them patiently but even after long discussion they failed to convince Ch Shujaat on the question why the party chairmanship should be handed over to Musharraf. The meeting also discussed the future of PML-Q. When asked about the names of these members who met Shujaat, they were reluctant to give any name but said that some of them had been working as ministers on some important ministries during the Q-League regime. To a question regarding the role of PML-Q in the Parliament especially during the budget session, they were of the view that the party leadership during a meeting decided to vote in favour of the budget and this was the reason that they withdraw the cut motions. However, they added that some of the party members were of the view that they should oppose the budget. Talking about the upcoming bye elections in various constituencies vacated due to fake degree cases, they said that the PML-Q was willing to contest from all such constituencies but to contest these elections the party leadership needed efforts to motivate its workers. It is pertinent to mention here that a bunch of the PML-Q members including parliamentarians has already separated from the party and has established its own faction PML-Q (Likeminded) while a large number of its members who are still affiliated with it are in contact with Musharraf and reportedly with other political parties. On the other hand All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) has also come on surface.