Chaudhrys of Gujrat still a house divided

Begum Qaisara Elahi, wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, said on Thursday there would be no reconciliation with Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) chief Chaudhry Sujaat Hussain and that her husband would not change the party.

In a statement, Begum Qaisara said that Shujaat, a cousin of Elahi, had no role in his release from the prison, adding that her husband was freed by the grace of Allah and after getting justice from the courts. She said that both Elahi and his son Moonis would remain in the PTI.

Her statement came after a PML-Q statement claimed that the familial ties between Shujaat and Elahi had been restored. It also claimed that the Chaudhry brothers agreed to renew their family relationship during a reconciliatory meeting in Lahore.

PML-Q Central spokesperson Mustafa Malik confirmed to the media that Elahi had met Shujaat at the latter’s residence in Lahore. Malik noted that Shujaat had consistently visited Elahi, while he was in jail, showing concern for his well-being.

The PML-Q claim was refuted by Begum Qaisara as baseless. “We have not had any kind of family reconciliation; all these things are based on lies,” she said, adding that neither Moonis Elahi nor Parvez Elahi had any intention of joining the Q-League.

Begum Qaisara also clarified that Shujaat had no involvement in her husband’s release, attributing it to divine intervention and judicial decisions. She stressed that her husband had communicated to Shujaat that no reconciliation would occur until their “stolen mandate” was returned.

“We did not have any kind of family reconciliation…all these things are based on lies. Chaudhry Parvez Elahi was released by the grace of Allah, the courts gave us justice,” she said .Giving a message to Shujaat, she said: “Nothing will happen until our stolen mandate is returned.”

Begum Qaisara said that Elahi had also made this stance clear in a recent statement. “Q-League has now become a party which is based on stolen mandate and no ‘person of conscience’ could become its member,” she added.

She said that Shujaat’s sons were busy spreading “lies against us all the time”. For the past year and a half, they had been spreading such rumours from different sources, she added. “I don’t know what they want to achieve by spreading such false news.”

In a recent media statement after his release, Elahi had also dismissed any talk of deals with the ruling coalition and reaffirmed his support for the PTI founder. He condemned the spread of false information by certain individuals, including some of his relatives and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

“Listen to those who talk about deals and leeway; I have been in jail for more than a year,” he said. He recounted his time in prison, mentioning severe injuries, including five broken ribs. “Allah saved my life for a purpose,” he said.

Elahi also criticised those spreading misinformation and stealing the electoral mandate. “Those who stole the mandate should first apologise to the people of Gujarat. Until they apologise, nothing will happen,” he said. Elahi hoped the PTI would return to power.