GUJRAT: Former Gujrat district nazim Chaudhry Shafaat Hussain, the youngest brother of PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, plans to contest the next general election from NA-69 (Gujrat city-Kunjah), the constituency currently being held by his nephew Moonis Elahi.

Due to his differences with the PML-Q leadership as well as the family, Shafaat is currently campaigning as an independent candidate.

Talking to Dawn, he said he had yet not decided to join any party.

“Right now I am doing politics on my own and will decide about joining any party at any appropriate time.”

He said the areas under NA-69 had mainly been the same where his late father Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi would use to contest in the past.

Shafaat Hussain is currently campaigning as an independent

Asked if he had some sort of coordination with other family member as Shujaat’s son Shafay Hussain too wanted to contest from the city constituency, he responded that his nephew (Shafay) wanted to contest from city’s Punjab Assembly seat while he would go for the NA seat.

Sources close to him said Shafaat Hussain could decide his future political affiliation once election scene was clear.

Shafaat Hussain had distanced himself from the family elders in 2016 local body elections over the nomination of a woman member of the family as a PML-Q candidate for the Gujrat district council chairperson. The decision, he said, was against the family tradition of keeping women away from electoral politics.

Sources said his relations, especially with his cousin Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and nephew Moonis Elahi, got strained after that decision.

Shafaat Hussain had twice been elected as chairman of the Gujrat district council (1991, 1998), and district nazim in 2001and 2005. He had contested the 2013 general elections from a PA seat of Jalalpur Jattan (PP-29) as a PML-Q nominee but lost to PML-N’s retired MajMoin Nawaz Warraich and did not contest in 2018.

The differences within the Chaudhry brothers of the PML-Q are getting deeper though Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain is still hopeful of getting all the issues settled before the next elections.

PML-Q chief’s scion Salik Hussain (MNA from Chakwal) who became the federal minister in PM Shehbaz Sharif cabinet and his brother Shafay Hussain are currently being considered close to the PML-N whereas both party MNAs from Gujrat, Moonis and Hussain, are determined to stand with the PTI along with their fathers Parvez Elahi and Wajahat Hussain, respectively.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2022