LAHORE: A meeting between the opposition leaders of the Pakistan-Nawaz Muslim League (PML-N) Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Khawaja Salman Rafique and the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, whose Pakistan Mulsim-Q League (PML-Q) is part of the Pakistan-led Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) coalition, alarms must have sounded on Saturday within the PTI which is already experiencing fissures in its fold.
The PML-N has reportedly adopted in recent months a policy of not uttering a single word against the Gujrat Chaudhries, who are important allies of the PTI government in the Center and in Punjab.
In the current situation, the PML-N is criticizing the role of PTI leader Jahangir Khan Tareen and federal minister Khusro Bakhtiar in the sugar crisis. However, the PML-N has said nothing about Pervaiz Elahi's son, Chaudhry Moonis Elahi, whose name also appeared in the investigative report on the sugar crisis.
Saad Rafique, considered a close confidant of PML-N's supreme Nawaz Sharif, visited Elahi and reminded him of the close and strong family ties between them and stressed the need to carry on ancestral relationships. "The ancestors of both families had close and strong relationships and we need to carry on these old family ties," said Rafique.
Meeting held to strengthen backstage relations between the opposition party and PML-Q
Since the two Khawaja brothers have recently been released on bail, the sources claim that they had met with Pervaiz Elahi on the instructions of the top PML-N leaders to strengthen behind-the-scenes relations between PML-N and PML-Q. "This meeting takes on special significance as Jahangir Tareen's relations with Prime Minister Imran Khan are becoming sour," said a source.
Elahi told the Khawaja brothers that it was time for all political parties to put politics aside for the time being and fight the terrible coronavirus.
"Humanity wants all politicians to unite and fight the coronavirus pandemic as a single nation," said Elahi.
The Khawaja brothers also asked about the health of former Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and expressed good wishes for the top PML-Q leader.
Discussing the situation prevailing in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the Khawaja brothers praised Elahi for bringing all the political parties together in a forum through a video liaison meeting with the Punjab Assembly's special parliamentary committee to discuss the pandemic and measures to guarantee public safety. and they contain the spread of the virus.
Punjab Assembly Secretary Mohammad Khan Bhatti was also present at the meeting.
Posted in Dawn, April 12, 2020
Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1548526/pml-ns-rafique-brothers-in-surprise-call-on-pervaiz-elahi