Gujrat: Before the vote on July 17, a few powerful individuals in the Chaudhry family’s camp in Gujrat have stepped up their efforts to build a bridge between Imran Khan, the leader of their ally and former prime minister, and the ruling class.
Since the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid leadership views it as imperative to win the majority of seats in the by-election in order to form its government in Punjab, which would inevitably pave the way for an early general election, the PML-Q is using its “good offices” to assist the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and other significant power figures to resolve their differences.
The stakes are high for Mr. Elahi, the speaker of the Punjab Assembly, who is running for Punjab chief minister with Hamza Shehbaz of the PML-Q.“We are working frantically to ensure that PTI candidates win the by-elections, while some Q workers from Gujarat are busy campaigning for such PTI in Lahore and other areas of Punjab on the orders of a senior party leadership.
As this is a life or death situation for all of us and Khan Sahib, he asserted that “other ways are also being investigated to assure PTI-Q success.”
Ijazul Haq, a political figure or former federal minister who recently met with Mr. Khan, Mr. Elahi, Fawad Chaudhry, and Sheikh Rashid, had previously acknowledged that they had been working to improve Mr. Khan’s relationship with the establishment.