‘PML-Q, Peoples Party to contest elections together’

Elahi blames Sharif for the LHC order stopping him from addressing a rally.

SAHIWAL:

Pakistan Muslim League-Q will continue its alliance with the Pakistan Peoples Party and the two parties will contest the next general elections together, Senior Federal Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said on Monday.

Elahi said the two parties would support each other’s candidates against PML-N.

He was speaking at the 26^th workers’ convention of the party in Sahiwal. The convention was organised following a Lahore High Court ruling banning Elahi from addressing a public gathering arranged by PML-Q’s candidate Muzaffar Shah Khagga for the upcoming by-poll in PP220.

The court had banned Elahi form speaking because on grounds that he was a federal minister. Elahi said the PML-N was the biggest threat to democratic politics in the country.

Commenting on the LHC verdict, Elahi said the PML-Q respected the verdict and had cancelled the gathering forthwith. He accused Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif of orchestrating the petition to stop him from addressing the rally in Sahiwal.

Earlier, PPP Punjab president Imtiaz Safdar Warraich addressed the convention. PPP’s Babar Awan had addressed a gathering in support of Muzaffar Shah Khagga on Sunday. He had announced that PPP would support Khagga in the by-poll scheduled to be held on Octobver 13.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2011.