GUJRAT: Two different gatherings were held in connection with the 39th death anniversary of veteran Muslim League leader Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi at his residence in Gujrat on Friday.

The death anniversary of the family head of the Chaudhrys of the PML-Q at their Gujrat residence has been a regular feature for the last four decades almost in which political workers would participate.

Former prime minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi would often address these gatherings; however, PML Q Punjab information secretary and former provincial minister Mian Imran Masood said this time both the senior leaders could not attend the anniversary due to the Covid-19 as well as the health of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.

This is for the first time that former Gujrat district nazim Chaudhry Shafaat Hussain, the youngest brother of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, has held a separate gathering on the front lawns of the house early in the morning, indicating his differences with the family and the PML-Q leadership.

Shafaat, along with his both sons and a number of local party workers, offered the prayers for the late Zahoor Elahi and then left the venue to visit the grave from where he went to Lahore.

An hour later, another gathering was held at the same venue, which was attended by PML Q MNA Chaudhry Hussain Elahi and Chaudhry Musa Elahi, the sons of former federal minister Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain whereas party MPAs Abdullah Yousaf Warraich and Shujaat Nawaz Ajnala, former MPAs Mian Imran Masood and Khalid Ghural, former Gujrat tehsil nazim Saadat Nawaz Ajnala were also present.

Hussain Elahi and Imran Masood addressed the gathering and lauded the services of Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi for the well-being of the people during his political career.

All the participants offered prayers for the departed soul.

Chaudhry Shafaat Hussain, when asked about his act of holding a separate gathering, told Dawn that the people were asked to attend the death anniversary and when he came to know that nobody of the family elders would come, he decided to conclude the traditional proceedings.

However, he added, he had some differences over the political affairs and already conveyed his reservations over those issues to the family elders who did not bother to address his reservations.

Mr Shafaat said those who had been doing politics from the platform of Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi should have attended his death anniversary instead of staying away as devoted supporters of his family did not bother about the Covid-19 and arrived, as usual, to attend the death anniversary.

Sources said Shafaat Hussain, who served as chairman Gujrat district council twice (1991 and 1998) as well as district nazim twice (2001 and 2005), had been against the participation of the family’s women in electoral politics and had opposed the nomination of his elder sister Sumaira Elahi as a candidate for the slot of Gujrat district council chairperson in the last local bodies elections held in Dec 2016. Sumaira is now slated to the likely candidate for the slot of Gujrat mayor in the upcoming elections of local government.

On the other hand, the sources said the senior leadership of the PML-Q had been of the view that Shafaat’s performance as district nazim was the cause of the party’s defeat in Gujrat the 2008 general election when Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain lost his National Assembly seat. That’s why the PML-Q leadership has been keeping him away from the political and administrative affairs of Gujrat.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2020