GUJRAT: Former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi who merged his group of PML-Q into the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf may get a senior position in PTI’s central body or become head of the Punjab chapter for which discussion within the PTI is under way.

Though Fawad Chaudhry announced at a joint media talk with Parvez Elahi on Tuesday that the former Punjab CM would be made president of PTI, a formal notification was yet to be issued by the party.

Mian Imran Masood, a former Punjab education minister and a close aide to Mr Elahi, told Dawn that all the 10 former PML-Q MPAs had been assured PTI tickets in their constituencies in the next general elections whereas the constituencies of MNAs Moonis Elahi, Hussain Elahi and the Chakwal National assembly seat that was currently being held by federal minister Salik Hussain would also be given to the nominees of Parvez Elahi.

In addition to that, he said, the Elahi camp would also lay claim to several other seats in Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin and some other districts.

Masood (PML-Q’s Punjab information secretary till merger), said since party’s different wings existed prior to the merger, Mr Elahi had been asked by several party colleagues to try to make a formula with the PTI for the adjustment of these officials too.

It is learnt that Moonis Elahi wanted to contest NA seat from Mandi Bahauddin whereas his cousin Musa Elahi, the scion of former federal minister Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain, too wants to contest as PTI candidate from NA-71 (Kharian-Sara-i- Alamgir-Kotla) of Gujrat whereas Imran Masood is also vying to get a PTI ticket for Gujrat city’s Punjab Assembly seat that he had won for four times (1990-2002).

Ex MPA and Gujrat PTI district president Saleem Sarwar Jaura, who was earlier a critic of Q’s dominance in Gujrat during the coalition government in Punjab, now says he has no issue with the merger of Elahi camp into the PTI as he had already contested the last general elections under a seat adjustment with the Q.Some old PTI workers say they would only demand a respect from the new entrants into the PTI however others expressed reservations over the development.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2023