GUJRAT: The lone MNA-elect from Gujrat district backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Chaudhry Muhammad Ilyas, has allegedly been picked up by law enforcement agencies (LEAs) from a restaurant in Jhelum.

Party and family sources say that Mr Ilyas was at a restaurant near the river Jhelum on Monday night, when he was detained.

However, officials in Gujrat and Jhelum districts neither confirmed nor denied his detention.

Mr Ilyas got elected as MNA from NA-62 (Sara-i-Alamgir-Kharian-Kotla) in Feb 8 polls by defeating ex-MNA Abid Raza Kotla of the PML-N and Chaudhry Musa Elahi of the PML-Q.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has recently issued the notification of his success.

He had been the district president of the PTI and was runner-up in 2013 and 2018 general elections against Abid Raza Kotla of the PML-N, who had won the seat.

Local sources say Mr Ilyas had been under pressure to join the PML-Q since winning the contest. He was conspicuous by his absence during his recent election campaign.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2024