GUJRAT: Federal Minister for Investment Board Chaudhry Salik Hussain says the caretaker Punjab government’s notification of suspending divisional status for Gujrat will be reversed after the next elections as the caretakers do not have the power and resources to run the new administrative unit.

He made these remarks while talking to reporters after he kicked off his political campaign from Gujrat and announced to contest the next elections from the National Assembly seat of his father and PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.

Before the campaign launch on Thursday, Salik Hussain visited the grave of his grandfather Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi where he offered prayers for his grandparents.

He had started political career from Chakwal in 2018 by winning by-poll of NA seat vacated by his uncle and former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi.

This was for the first time since entering into politics that Salik attended various political and social gatherings in Gujrat where he had an interactive session with the business fraternity at the Gujrat Chamber of Commerce and Industry GtCCI.

Responding to media questions, he said that he would contest the NA seat of his father and the party might go for seat adjustment with the Pakistan Democratic Movement.

Talking to Dawn later, he said since the Election Commission had banned the recruitment until the elections in Punjab, the caretaker government was unable to run the newly-created division due to unavailability of required staff that was why the status had been suspended for the time being.

He said the Punjab government had assured him that the fresh notification would soon be withdrawn after the elections.

Earlier, speaking to businessmen, Salik said he had advised the Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to convene an all parties conference on the issue of economy as the people of Pakistan were facing high inflation.

He vowed to address the ‘wrongdoings’ done in Gujrat during the last few months.

The business fraternity shared their concerns over the consistent blockade of import shipments. Former mayor and PML-N leader Haji Nasir Mehmood was also present on the occasion.

Later, he visited the Zahoor Elahi House where a number of local party workers met him in the evening.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2023