‘Sharifs have ditched me five times’

An interview with PML-Q President and Punjab CM Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi

Lahore: Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is a veteran politician from Punjab who is the President of PML-Q and currently serving as Chief Minister of the province.

He is known for his dignified politics and has stood by Imran Khan when all of the PTI chief’s allies deserted him at a critical juncture in April this year.

Having said that, Elahi does have a knack of attracting controversies. He is at the center of yet another one following conflicting reports in the media about his loyalty to Imran Khan, and that he could be a hesitant coalition partner if the former premier dissolves the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assemblies anytime soon.

Bol News, therefore, approached Elahi to clarify matters and get his views first hand regarding the dissolution of assemblies, the internal rift in PML-Q, the civil-military ties and other burning issues.

Q. Imran Khan has a clear-cut stance that he wants to dissolve the KP and Punjab assemblies, and he has also repeatedly said in TV interviews that Pervaiz Elahi is with him. But some people are claiming that you may not dissolve the provincial assembly of Punjab. What’s your take on this?

Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi (CPE): I have repeatedly stated that we will dissolve the assembly whenever Imran Khan Sahib requests it and will not waste time doing so, but the fact is that I told him that this is the decision that we will dissolve the assemblies whenever you request it. Now let’s think about the pros and cons of it.

We need to sit down and talk about it. Imran Khan Sahib had also spoken with his MPAs, who told him that it was you (Imran) who had fought their elections; Almighty Allah has given you a new life, but you are currently unable to stand due to the bullets you have received, so we will discuss it again when you recover. However, nothing will happen for the next four months.

However, now is a good time to negotiate with the opposition and finish the homework, which includes determining how elections should be conducted. We have serious reservations about Sikander Sultan Raja, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), because he is attempting to disqualify Imran Khan Sahib.

Q. There were rumours that you had given Imran Khan something in writing regarding the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly. Is this true?

CPE: Look, we are people of words; once we make a commitment, we follow through on it. Khan Sahib, like us, is also a man of words. It doesn’t really matter whether we have given anything in writing or not once we have made the commitment.

Q. According to rumours, you met with the new military leadership and made backdoor contacts with the new establishment in order to improve former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s relations with it. Is this true?

CPE: Look, relationships with institutions, whether with judges or the judiciary, or with the army and other such institutions, are not new. We’ve been on good terms with them since the 1980s, and our elders had good relationships with the institutions before that. We believe that the closer you are to these institutions, the more informed you will be about the country’s situations and events. Yes, I met with the institution about the system because both sides had misconceptions and complaints about each other that could be resolved by sitting together, as it brought some clarity and aided in the removal of misconceptions. We also believe that we should refrain from criticising institutions, whether it is the army or the judiciary.

Q. You’ve always had a close relationship with the army and the military establishment. Why couldn’t you play the role of easing tensions between the two when a schism between Khan Sahib and the establishment was forming?

CPE: Look, many forces are usually at work, and the leadership must make a decision. All we can do is state, persuade, or inform about the advantages and disadvantages. But believe me when I say that we have always done our best with good intentions to resolve situations, but some issues are simply unresolvable. The chasm widened after the attack on Imran Khan Sahib. But things have improved recently, and I must commend President Alvi. He was instrumental in normalising Khan Sahib’s relationship with the establishment.

Q. You had a meeting with Imran Khan Sahib, and after that, your spokesperson and PTI leader, Mussarat Cheema, talked against the institutions. Are you the one who convinced Imran Khan Sahib not to talk about the institutions?

CPE: No, the issue is that Mussarrat Cheema is my adviser, and I told her that it is not our policy to criticise institutions, whether the judiciary or the army, and that she had been given notice. We’ve been working with Imran Khan Sahib for about four years now, and we’ve previously worked with him at Qadri Sahib’s events. Earlier, people close to him attempted to create misunderstandings between us, but time proved that all of those attempts were futile. But now Khan Sahib has complete faith and trust in us, and we have complete faith and trust in him.

Q. Many people believe you accepted PDM or Asif Ali Zardari’s offers out of courtesy or to maintain your dignity in politics, but it was your son Moonis Elahi who convinced you to support Imran Khan. Is this true?

CPE: Yes, you are correct; there is no doubt about it, and what happened was that when Shujaat Sahib, Mohsin Naqvi, and all of them came to me and told me that Nawaz Sharif is ready to give you the chief ministership, luckily, Almighty Allah wanted to save us from Sharifs, as the chief ministership offer also came from Imran Khan sahib at the same time, and I had this feeling that I could not trust Sharifs because I had been previously ditched by them, their family, and their father about five times. I was also sure that they would not let me work or deliver.

On the other hand, I was confident that Imran Khan sahib would not only allow me to work, but that he was also aware that I had delivered in the past and, by the grace of Almighty Allah, established many institutions such as 1122, which serve the people across the length and breadth of Punjab. Imran Khan Sahib wanted us to be his arms and allies, and Moonis wanted me to join forces with Imran Khan Sahib as well. So, when your intentions are good and you have Almighty Allah’s support, things like this happen.

Believe me when I say that we were all set to join forces, but Allah Almighty had sent Bajwa Sahib to show us the way. When I told Bajwa Sahib that we cannot trust the Sharifs because they have abandoned you, he said, “Leave me. As for you, you must decide for yourself, but joining forces with Imran Khan is more honourable and better for you and the country.”

One thing we must admit about Imran Khan is that he has exposed the Sharif family, who are also terrified of him. I recall praying to Allah to send a leader who could save this country from Sharifs, and we now have that leader in the form of Imran Khan, and the political death of Sharifs will be through his hands.

Q. Imran Khan Sahib recently implied that Bajwa sahib played on both sides of the wicket and invited you to join Khan and Shujaat sahib to join PDM. Do you share this viewpoint?

CPE: Shujaat sahib had no discussion with Bajwa sahib. Second, neither Khan Sahib nor Bajwa sahib played a double game; sometimes circumstances force you into a situation from which there is no way out. So, I believe Khan Sahib’s decision, as well as mine and Moonis’, was correct.

Q. Can the military’s role in the country’s politics end?

CPE: They have decided not to play a role in either bringing or removing someone from power. So they have decided that whatever the fate of anyone is, let it happen. When the time comes for elections, the open, free, and fair rules will be there for everyone.

Q. Do you believe the establishment is now completely apolitical?

CPE: Yes, the establishment has become completely apolitical. However, they would play their role in protecting the institutions and the country, as well as the sanctity of the constitution. We advise all stakeholders who want to participate in elections to make economic decisions for the next 15 years with all players so that there is no policy shift because it harms the country, and continuity of economic policies is essential.

Q. Will PML-Q maintain its independent identity? Are you negotiating with Khan Sahib about 25 to 30 seat adjustments? Do you believe elections will be held on time and on schedule, or will they be postponed?

CPE: Yes, we will maintain our independent identity in terms of seat adjustments. We will discuss it because it is too early to discuss it right now. Elections can take place at any time; they can take place before or after October.

Q. Is it possible for your family’s internal split to heal and witness a unification?

CPE: It’s not as if we are not on speaking terms. We even offered Jumma prayers as a group. Children differ more, but if elders can persuade them, they may agree, but I believe they will conduct politics on their own. However, this is not an issue because the house remains the same; only the political paths of the children may change.