Former Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Parvez Elahi on Tuesday joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) minutes after Chaudhry Shujaat terminated the party membership of the ex-Punjab chief minister and removed him from his post as provincial president as well.
The announcement – which came minutes after Elahi met PTI Chairman Imran Khan – deepens the political temperature in the country with general elections due in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The former Punjab chief executive has repeatedly pledged his loyalty to Khan as he vowed to stand by the ousted prime minister, who was ousted from power in April last year when the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) had launched a no-confidence motion against him. PTI chief
PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry said during a press conference with Elahi in Lahore after meeting former Punjab Chief Minister Ki Khan, “After a long discussion, Pervez Elahi and other leaders finally joined PTI today. What has been decided.”
Elahi sacked
In an earlier statement about Elahi’s sacking, Shujaat said the former Punjab chief minister was “barred from using the name PML-Q in future”.
The party president had earlier issued a show cause notice to Elahi on January 16, suspending his membership for discussing the possibility of his party’s possible merger with the PTI.
Shujaat called an emergency meeting of senior leaders, where it was noted that provincial president Elahi did not have the authority to merge the party into the PTI, the notice said.
He was also sent a notice to convene an unconstitutional meeting of the party in Lahore on January 26. The posts of the people appointed in the party by the former chief minister have also been withdrawn.
Chaudhry Shafi Hussain, a senior leader of the party, said, “Chawdhury Pervez Elahi and his aides/associates/could leave QL to join PTI.”
He further said that the members elected on the seats of Muslim League (Q) can resign and leave the party. Pervez Elahi has no right to merge PML-Q into PTI.
