Punjab CM pledges to defend Bajwa
Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Sunday denounced Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s comments targeting former chief of army staff (COAS) General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa.
“I was very offended when Imran Khan spoke against Gen Retd Bajwa,” said Pervaiz Elahi adding that “Bajwa sahib is our benefactor and one should not speak against their benefactors.”
Speaking informally with journalists, the CM also held that the former army chief has “done a lot” for the PTI chief and “favours should not be forgotten”. “If there is any further talk against Gen (retd) Bajwa, then my party and I will be the first ones to defend him,” he warned. “General [retd] Faiz Hamid committed many abuses,” he regretted as he alleged that the former military official had “tried to put us behind bars” and that he was “against us”. Pervaiz Elahi also revealed that he had taken the matter up with the ex-COAS when he was in office and that Gen (retd) Faiz had then informed that the alleged political persecution had been ordered by Imran Khan. “Imran Khan wouldn’t even let Moonis [Elahi] sit next to him,” he continued, “but we fully supported Imran despite that”.
“When Imran Khan told us to dissolve the [Punjab] Assembly, then we had agreed straight away,” he added stressing that “we are not against Imran Khan or the PTI, we stand with them; but we cannot bite the hand that feeds us”.
