GUJRAT: Former chief minister and PTI president Chaudhry Parvez Elahi says the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has opened up a front against every institution while Nawaz Sharif is the mastermind behind the campaign against the Supreme Court by the ruling coalition.

He said Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s press conference against the chief justice, all superior judges and Imran Khan was extremely irresponsible and unacceptable.

“I am surprised that Maulana Fazlur Rehman was the most earnest about the election but today he is leading the campaign against the election. Maulana Fazlur Rehman, tell me, isn’t this an open contradiction?” he taunted the JUI-F leader.

Mr Elahi made these remarks while addressing the media as well as a gathering of his supporters at Kunjah House here during the Eid holidays. Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain, Mian Imran Masood and others were also present.

Pervaiz Elahi said the PML-N did not get candidates for the ticket in Punjab that’s why it boycotted the election. The boycott of the PML-N had not made any difference as its election defeat in Punjab was writing on the wall, he added.

The former CM said no one could stop the election without an amendment to the Constitution with a two-thirds majority.

“The matter of election is constitutional and it will be resolved constitutionally. There is no way out without negotiations, which can also be held within the constitutional limits.”

Mr Elahi said Imran Khan had never refused to negotiate on the election and the government was misleading the public. He explained that the Supreme Court had clarified the constitutional limits of negotiations in its order and it had given the last chance to the government while further disobedience of the court would result in disqualification.

“Ayaz Sadiq has contacted Fawad Chaudhry and we wish there will be a way out for a fair and transparent election.”

He said the rulers were not concerned about the economic crisis nor did they have the ability to improve the affairs of the country, the unconstitutional rulers only wanted to cling to power unconstitutionally.

Meanwhile, PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Parvez Elahi celebrated Eidul Fitr at different places in their hometown. It was the first time that both the senior members of the family offered Eid prayers at different places despite being in Gujrat.

Shujaat Hussain and his scions, Salik Hussain and Shafay Hussain, offered Eid prayers at family’s ancestral Zahoor Elahi House in the city whereas Parvez and Wajahat Hussain offered the prayers at Kunjah House. However, another family member Chaudhry Shafaat Hussain, a former Gujrat district Nazim, visited both the houses and met with the family elders along with his sons.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2023