ISLAMABAD, Feb 26: The Sharifs’ disqualification and their falling out with the PPP has been a gift for the Q-League which was being likened to a political pariah after last year’s electoral setback and the removal from office of its chief patron General Pervez Musharraf.

And as the political wheeling-dealing gets into high gear, the party now seems to hold the key to a new power dispensation in Punjab. Neither the People’s Party nor the PML-Nawaz is in a position to form government in Punjab without the support of the Q-League.

Insiders have told Dawn that a majority in the Q-League seems keen on using the opportunity to cross the aisle in the Punjab assembly.

Background interviews with top Q-Leaguers show that only a few leaders are in favour of joining hands with the Sharif brothers.

The Chaudhrys of Gujrat and many others are inclined to become part of an expected coalition accepting the People’s Party as senior partner.

The Islamabad residence of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, which used to wear a deserted look till very recently, is flocked by ‘like-minded’ politicians.

Receiving condolences from the visitors following his mother’s death, Chaudhry Shujaat and his cousin Pervaiz Elahi seem to have started sensing their importance once again.

“We are being approached by both the People’s Party and the Nawaz-League. Both want us to be on their side, which is understandable given our strength in the provincial assembly,” former chief minister Pervaiz Elahi told Dawn.

The PML-Q has 85 members in the provincial assembly, including those belonging to a so-called forward bloc.

In the house of 371, a party needs support of 186 MPAs to form government. The PML-N is the largest force in the assembly with around 170 members, followed by the People’s Party with around 110.

According to a PML-Q leader, the party would not take a decision in haste. “Instead, we will wait for both the PML-N and the People’s Party to formally contact us. Of course, a debate will determine whether to join the government or to remain in the opposition.”

The PML-Q president said that the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the party would be called for a detailed discussion. “We want to take every party leader on board before reading a decision,” Chaudhry Shujaat said.

Some ambitious party leaders have already started their calculations. They have been advising the party president to try to get the best possible deal with President Asif Ali Zardari.

“We know that being a minority group we cannot vie for the office of chief minister. But we should be content if we get the speakership of the assembly and some key ministries,” observed a senior Q-League leader requesting anonymity.

But according to Faisal Saleh Hayat, parliamentary leader of Q-League in the National Assembly, the decision would require some time and much deliberation.

“The goalposts have changed. But before talking about joining hands with the People’s Party or the PML-N, we should decide if we are ready to sit in the coalition,” he observed.

Sources said the Chaudhrys have privately told their comrades that the party would not be able to maintain its independent status if it forms an alliance with the N-League.

They said that strengthening the Sharif brothers at this time would be a political blunder. They accused the brothers of targeting the leaders and workers of the PML-Q during the past year.

Even Senator Tariq Azeem, the PML-Q information secretary, has changed his views after the disqualification of the Sharif brothers.

A few days ago he had told Dawn News that a majority of party leaders would like to side with the PML-N, instead of joining a PPP-led coalition.

“Things have changed after the Supreme Court verdict and the imposition of governor’s rule in Punjab,” he said, adding that at the moment around 60 per cent of the leaders were favouring an alliance with the People’s Party.

“But nothing is final and I cannot say anything categorical. Over the next few days we will hold a series of party meetings to discuss the situation and make our decision,” Azeem said.