LAHORE, Aug 26: Parliamentary party of the PML-N in Punjab Assembly on Tuesday discussed threadbare the risks faced by its government in the province after the party says goodbye to the PPP-led coalition in the centre as the efforts, so far made, to win over the PML-Q, the opposition party, remained futile.

The meeting, which continued for around four hours, also endorsed the high command’s decision of fielding Justice (retd) Saeeduz Zaman Siddiqui for the Sept 6 presidential polls against PPP co-chairperson Asif Zardari.

Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah Khan told the ‘uninvited’ media that besides three dozen members of the PML-Q forward bloc, 208 MPAs attended the meeting. He claimed that 10 more opposition members were also likely to support the government.

Asked if the parliamentary party took any decision about continuing to take along the PPP in the provincial government, he replied in affirmative without giving details. “We don’t want to leak out the decision yet and leave it up to them (the PPP) to decide their role in the province.”

He said the meeting formed division-level committees of MPAs for effectively running Mr Siddiqui’s campaign for the presidency, directing the members to make personal-level contacts with other parties to seek their support for the party’s candidate.

The law minister chided Punjab Governor Salman Taseer for summoning chief secretary, inspector-general of police and other high-ranking officials and warning them not to help the PML-N in “winning over” support of the opposition members.

“The governor transgressed his authority and disgraced his office by violating the Constitution and law through directly interacting with the government officials. Under the law, he could approach the officials only through the provincial cabinet.”

Rana Sana said the issue of “unconstitutional” activities of the governor would be taken up with the federal government.

He urged the Q Leaguers to shun the party formed by former dictator Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf and play their political and democratic role.

However, the PML-Q is irritated due to contacts by what it calls ‘low-level’ leaders of the PML-N and is showing more tilt in favour of the PPP. “How can we seriously consider the option of sitting with the PML-N when we are being approached by patwaris of the latter,” a senior leader of the party confided to Dawn.

Hamid Nasir Chattha, former National Assembly speaker who returned to the provincial assembly on a Q League ticket this time, is enthusiastically spearheading a campaign within the party to join hands with the PPP as he is seeing chances of his becoming the chief minister.

Mr Chattah had revolted against the Sharifs back in 80s and formed his own faction of the League when at that time chief minister Nawaz Sharif had “betrayed” prime minister Muhammad Khan Junejo and sided with army dictator Gen Ziaul Haq.

His faction had, in collaboration with the PPP, knocked down the PML-N’s Ghulam Haider Wyne-led government in Punjab in early 90s when Mr Sharif was the prime minister.