Tactics to ensure Elahi becomes CM prove futile

Sources say CS, IGP summoned to Governor House, pressured to pave way for Elahi’s victory

LAHORE:

It has come to light that the former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government kept pressuring the Punjab chief secretary and the inspector general of police to pave the way for PML-Q’s Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi to win the chief minister’s election to the extent that the two officers were even summoned to the Governor House and threatened that they would lose their jobs.

However, their attempts proved futile as Hamza Shehbaz, the son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was elected as the Punjab chief minister.

According to sources on Sunday, there was commotion in the Punjab Assembly during the election of the chief minister on Saturday, which was covered by media cameras, but what occurred behind the scenes had now been revealed.

Both the upright officials refused to obey the “illegal” orders, saying that they would not do anything contrary to the Constitution and the law.

Sources said that after the refusal of the Punjab chief secretary and IG, a summary was sent to replace the two officers, but the federation did not entertain it.

Before the elections, the sources said, the officials were called to the Governor House and pressured to ensure that PTI nominee Elahi was made the Punjab chief minister.

After the commotion in the Punjab Assembly and the attack on Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari by the PTI members, the sources said, it seemed impossible to hold the election of the chief minister. However, it was made possible by the domineering action of the Punjab chief secretary and the IG, and if the two officers had not taken timely action, the election would not have been possible.

The sources said that the Punjab chief secretary and IG made sure that the election was conducted by implementing the law and the Constitution.