PML-Q will not betray PTI ‘despite unfulfilled promises’

Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, a major ally of the government at the Centre and in Punjab, complained against the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday about unfulfilled promises but stressed that their alliance would hold.

During a meeting with a delegation of lawyers in Lahore, the Punjab Assembly speaker sought to quash any rumours of change in the province, saying that the newly formed Jahangir Tareen like-minded group would not harm Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“We are allies of the PTI. We are allies of the government but are facing more problems. The matters agreed with the PTI on the first day have not been implemented till date,” Elahi, who is also president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q), said.

Despite the unfulfilled promises, Elahi said his party would not break its alliance with the PTI. “When we go with anyone, we do not betray them. [Therefore], there is no chance of any change in Punjab. Inshallah, we will never have no confidence against the government,” he added.

The former Punjab chief minister told the lawyers that he always support the government in time of its need. He particularly mentioned the long march by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman towards the end of 2019, and the recent Senate elections.

“We resolved the Maulana Fazlur Rehman issue at the request of Imran Khan. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and I worked hard to resolve this problem,” he said, referring to his several meetings with the JUI-F chief to persuade him to end his long march and sit-in in the federal capital.

Similarly, Elahi said that with his efforts, the PTI was successful in getting the Senate seats for Walid Iqbal and Jahangir Tareen’s sister. “Otherwise, they were losing on both seats. You can ask them,” he said, adding that when the elections were over, no one cared.

The PML-Q president revealed that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and Co-chairman and former president Asif Zardari played an important role in unopposed election of senators from Punjab in March 2021.

Commenting on the formation of like-minded group by the supporters of PTI leader Jahangir Tareen earlier this week, Elahi said, “Tareen is a part of the PTI and is present in the PTI. I don’t think they will be able to harm Imran Khan at the Centre.”

About the strength of the like-minded group in the Punjab Assembly, the speaker said that it carried a big question mark. “How many members are there with Tareen, you will know when they stand up in the assembly. This is a question mark. I am not in contact with them.”

Referring to the leadership of PML-N, Elahi said that the party belonged to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who made the decisions. “Nawaz Sharif is the whole book of PML-N’s politics and the rest are just pages of that book,” he said. “Be it Shehbaz or anyone else, only the narrative of Sharif prevails in the PML-N.”
He added that Maryam Nawaz is the heir of Sharif. She is leading politics and the party with full support of her father.