ISLAMABAD, Feb 11: Arbab Ghulam Rahim was elected president of the PML-Q (Likeminded Group) for a three-year term at a meeting of the party’s general council here on Saturday.

The self-exiled former chief minister of Sindh replaced Senator Salim Saifullah Khan, who was named chairman of the steering committee after Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri left the party to join Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf headed by Imran Khan.

Speaking to party members through a video conference, Mr Rahim expressed determination to return to Pakistan soon.

Information Secretary Kashmala Tariq told the council that she had submitted a constitution amendment bill which provided for the creation of new provinces through simple majority resolutions and suggested carving out of three more provinces – Punjab, Bahawalpur and Hazara — immediately.

Prominent among those who attended the meeting were party chairman Hamid Nasir Chattha, Salim Saifullah Khan, Gohar Ayub Khan, Humayun Saifullah Khan, Abdul Ghaffar Qureshi, Kishanchand Parwani, Kabir Ali Wasti, Begum Yaqut Jamul Rehman and Amna Salim.