IN a major development, former Chief Minister of Punjab and a stalwart of PML(Q) Ch Parvez Elahi has announced his decision to join Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) along with ten former members of the Punjab Assembly belonging to PML(Q). It came on the heels of an announcement by PML(Q) President Ch. Shujaat Hussain to dismiss Elahi from his party post and termination of his basic membership.
No doubt, PML(Q) was not a major party but it played its role well because of the seasoned leadership as is evident from the fact that the group led by Ch. Shujaat Hussain was part and parcel of the coalition government at the centre while the other one led by Ch. Pervez Elahi grabbed the highest office in the province despite having negligible presence (10 seats) in a house of 371. The latest development would, therefore, harm both as PML(Q) has lost a powerful group of electables while the latter have lost their separate identity by joining PTI. The parting of ways was, however, imminent in view of sharp differences of approach between veteran leader Ch Shujaat Hussain and Ch Parvez Elahi. Initially, the group led by Ch Parvez Elahi tried to get hold of the party by announcing a unilateral decision to dismiss Ch Shujaat Hussain as party head, a move that was turned turtle by the Election Commission. In-between, Parvez Elahi also tried to negotiate seat adjustment with the PTI for at least 30 seats to ensure a relevant role for the party in the post-election scenario but ultimately preferred joining the PTI instead of forming his own faction of PML(Q) when legally dismissed by the party head. Political analysts claim by doing so Elahi has secured his political future as he will be a strong contender from within PTI for the slot of CM and could play even a bigger role as central president in case Imran Khan is disqualified in one of the many cases he faces these days.
