LAHORE    -    An ambivalent relationship between PTI chairman Imran Khan and for­mer Punjab Chief Minister Ch Parvez Elahi spreading over four years, came to an expected drop scene on Tuesday evening as one of the scions of a famous Chaudhry family of Gu­jrat finally jumped on the PTI’s band­wagon along with a bunch of politi­cal loyalists.

This development was expected any time as the two sides had been work­ing on the merger plan since the dis­solution of the Punjab Assembly last month. On Tuesday, Ch Parvez Elahi had an important meeting with Im­ran Khan and informed him about his decision to join the PTI. He was accom­panied by 10 for­mer members of the Punjab Assem­bly elected on the PML-Q ticket in the 2018 general elec­tions. In this meet­ing, Imran Khan reportedly prom­ised with Ch Parvez Elahi that he would be given the office of central president of the PTI after necessary changes in the party’s constitution. 

A formal announcement about the merger of Elahi-led PML-Q group into the PTI was made by the PTI’s Senior Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry outside Zaman Park residence of the PTI chief Im­ran Khan in the presence of a grim-faced Parvez Elahi who seemed to be in a deep thought at that critical mo­ment in his political career. It was an irony of fate that it was the same Fawad Chaudhry about whom Parvez Elahi had said just a month ago that had he been arrested a little be­fore, the Punjab Assembly could have been saved from dissolution. 

The absence of Ch Moo­nis Elahi who had been the staunch supporter of switch­ing over to the PTI was con­spicuous on this important occasion. The younger Elahi is mysteriously absent from the country since December last. The incumbent government instituted several corruption cases against him as he re­mains absent from the coun­try’s political scene. 

The political merger of the Elahi-led group of the PML-Q came about even though Ch Parvez Elahi was averse to the idea of dissolving the Punjab Assembly. Also, the two par­ties have had differences as coalition partners over the power-sharing formula in the last four years. 

The new political journey of Ch Parvez Elahi marks the end of his years long political association with his cousin Ch Shujat Hussain who has been the motivating force behind him in the struggle to remain relevant in politics for years.

Ch Shujat Hussain on Tues­day also expelled Ch Parvez Elahi from the PML-Q before he formally joined the new po­litical party along with a bunch of political loyalists. Before this, Ch Shujat had suspended Elahi’s basic party member­ship after serving him a show-cause notice for his statements about joining the PTI. Though the PML-Q led by Ch Shujat Hussain has been a coalition partner with the PTI since Au­gust 2018, the Elahi-led group of the party got closer to PTI chairman Imran Khan after the latter was ousted from power because of a no-trust motion moved by the PDM al­liance now in power at the center. Also, serious differenc­es emerged between Ch Shujat Hussain and Ch Parvez Elahi in March 2022 on the question of supporting or otherwise of the PTI chairman when he was facing a no-confidence motion. Ultimately, the two decided to sit in the opposite political camps. Addressing the media after his meeting with Imran Khan, Ch Parvez renewed his pledge to support the PTI and its chairman Imran Khan say­ing he had great regard for him and his party and would stand by him forever.

“We will do everything that benefits the country and the nation and will not do any­thing that harms the party,” he added. Welcoming Parvez Ela­hi into the party fold, Fawad Chaudhry hoped that Parvez Elahi would play his role in the struggle for Naya Paki­stan. “We will never forget his sacrifices and support,” he said. He also announced that Parvez Elahi will be the President of Pakistan Teh­reek-e-Insaf after changes in the party constitution.