In an apparent sign of rifts being healed among the Chaudhry’s of Gujrat amid moments of stark disagreements, PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi on Saturday confirmed that contacts between Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi have been restored after months of silent tug-of-war and incommunicado.
However, the young Elahi asserted that the Elahi faction has not budged from their position and pressed the demand for snap polls. "There will be no compromise on the demand for snap polls and whatever PTI chairman Imran Khan says will happen. Elections are the solution for the current political situation," sources quoted Moonis as saying.
The ties between the Chaudhry brothers of Gujrat had snapped off earlier this year after the Elahi faction – led by Moonis — sided with Imran Khan amid the high political drama leading up to the latter’s ouster. The Shujaat group, on the other hand, decided to throw weight behind the PDM.
The resumption of contacts is the latest in a series of dramatic developments in the wake of PTI chief Imran Khan’s announcement to dissolve provincial assemblies.
Strangely, Shujaat – who has a right rapport with PDM – has restored contacts with the Elahi faction at a time when he is reportedly discussing a possible new set-up in Punjab to avert PTI’s plan of dissolving the assembly.
Speaking in a meeting with vloggers at the Chief Minister's House in Lahore, the PML-Q scion said that he hasn't met his uncle Shujaat since the day he went to meet him from the assembly.
Furthermore, Moonis said that his party would stand alongside PTI in the future but regretted that “some people” did not want PTI and PML-Q to walk side by side. He added that his father wanted to stay beside Imran for a long period of time.
Moonis said all the decisions were made after consultations. "We have never done anything that would affect Imran Khan's politics or respect as he is our benefactor," he added.
Meanwhile, in a related development, PTI chief Imran Khan admitted that Punjab CM Pervaiz Elahi believed that the government should stay for a few more months. However, he emphasised his call would be final in the matter and that Elahi would accept whatever he decides.
Read more: Sticking to assemblies’ dissolution in December: Imran
“But he [CM Elahi] has also said that he will accept whatever decision I will take [for assembly].”
In an interview with a private news channel, Imran also dispelled the rumours that CM Elahi attached a condition that he would only dissolve the provincial assembly if PTI agreed to nominate him for chief minister after the next elections.
Bajwa asked to remove Buzdar
Imran also revealed that former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa had asked him to remove the then Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar.
The former premier disclosed that Bajwa had long been asking him to replace Buzdar with Aleem Khan. “I told him that there were corruption cases worth billions of rupees against Aleem Khan, so how I could appoint him the chief minister,” he added.
Imran said everyone knows that if the government was removed the national economy would nosedive despite all positive indicators owing to political instability. “The current chaos is the result of loot and plunders of the incumbent rulers who ruled the country for over 30 years.”
Also read: PML-N preps for early polls in Punjab, welcoming Nawaz
Commenting on Rana Sanaullah’s challenge to dissolve Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies, Imran said Rana Sanaullah was a scoundrel and he did not take his remarks seriously. “It will not take long; the assemblies would be dissolved within December. We are preparing for dissolution of assemblies and the caretaker government that will come around 48 hours after that,” he maintained.
To a question about civil-military relations, Imran said, initially, there was good harmony between civil and military leadership, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. “I never wanted to appoint army chief of my choice, it is merely propaganda against me,” he clarified and admitted that General (retd) Faiz Hameed had strong strategic relations in Afghanistan and central Asian countries.
Therefore, Hameed's presence was crucial after the US pull-out from Afghanistan, he added.
He pointed out that former prime minister Khaqan Abbasi, Khurram Dastagir, Ahsan Iqbal and Maryam had themselves admitted that a no-confidence motion could never be succeeded against a PM unless the establishment backed it.
“Whoever allowed the regime change were Mir Jaffars and Mir Sadiqs as it ruined the economy,” he maintained.
Earlier, the PTI Chairman presided over a party meeting to devise a media strategy to expose the corruption of the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) parties and top leaders.
Addressing participants of the PTI Media Strategic Committee through a video link, Imran directed the committee to use social media for shaping public opinion for early elections. He also instructed to highlight the corruption cases against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s son Salman Shehbaz after his return to Pakistan.
He also instructed to highlight how the national economy was destroyed as a result of the NRO-2 besides spotting the irresponsible policies of the PDM government. He added that Pakistan has been pushed into economic turmoil due to the PDM government and early elections were the only solution to end the instability.
The meeting also discussed matters relating to the dissolution of the provincial assemblies. It was attended by PTI leaders Fawad Chaudhry, Farrukh Habib, Asad Umar, Musarrat Jamshed and others.
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