‘PML-Q’s door closed on Elahi’

Chaudhry Shafay Hussain, the elder son of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and a prominent figure within the party, has made it clear that there is no space for Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in the PML-Q anymore.

“He [Elahi] is welcome [to our house] as a family member but the door of the PML-Q is closed on him,” he said on Saturday while speaking to reporters outside the Lahore Corps Commander House.

Commonly known as the Jinnah House, the historic building was targeted and vandalized on May 9 after the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan from a court in Islamabad.

Elahi, who is also a close relative of Shujaat, joined the PTI on March 7. He is among the few PTI leaders who have not parted ways with PTI chief Imran Khan in the wake of the massive government crackdown that started in the wake of May 9 incidents.

Enraged by the arrest of Imran Khan from a court premises in Islamabad, rioters on May 9 attacked both civil and military institutions, including the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and the Lahore Corps Commander's House.

Read more: Inquiry into raid almost complete: Shafay

“Elahi would fare better by establishing his own political party rather than seeking a place within the PML-Q,” Shafay said. He lamented that extensive damage was caused to the Jinnah House by the miscreants and emphasised the need for those responsible to face appropriate punishment.

Shafay pointed the finger at the PTI, accusing the party of the attacks on military installations and the destruction of national heroes' statues. In the face of these troubling events, he stressed the importance of unified efforts to strengthen the nation.

Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar, the former governor of Punjab and chief organiser of the PML-Q, who was accompanying Shafay during the visit, voiced his stance on the perpetrators of the Jinnah House and military installations attacks.

While calling for bringing the culprits to book, Sarwar expressed his belief that innocent individuals should be released. He reaffirmed the nation's support for the Pakistan Army and condemned the destruction of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah's artifacts, the national flag, and the desecration of a mosque.

Sarwar, however, firmly stated his opposition to banning any political party, citing the solidarity demonstrated by politicians like Benazir Bhutto, who stood with Nawaz Sharif during his difficult times. He urged for unity among political parties, expressing the people's growing dissatisfaction with opportunistic politicians.