Purported audio of Pervaiz Elahi castigating Fawad Chaudhry emerges

LAHORE: An audio call featuring former Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Pervaiz Elahi emerged on Thursday in which he can allegedly be heard castigating Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry over dissolution of Punjab Assembly, ARY News reported.

In the audio clip being widely shared on social media, the former Punjab CM can allegedly be heard criticising Fawad Chaudhry for ‘forcing’ him to dissolve the Punjab Assembly.

“Fawad was arrested very late today at 5 o’clock in the morning,” Pervaiz Elahi can be heard saying to an unidentified person.

The PML-Q leader allegedly said that if Fawad Chaudhry had been arrested a month ago, the assemblies would not have been dissolved. “Fawad was pressurizing us to take action in this regard,” Elahi can be heard saying.

It is pertinent to mention here that Islamabad police arrested Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry from his residence for ‘threatening’ Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) members.

Read More: Imran Khan was misled by some PTI leaders: Pervaiz Elahi

A case against Chaudhary was registered last night at the Kohsar police station in Islamabad on the complaint of Secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Omer Hamid Khan.

READ: CCTV FOOTAGE OF FAWAD CHAUDHRY’S ARREST EMERGES

The first information report (FIR) was lodged against him for using ‘threatening’ language against the ECP and its members.

The PTI leader has been booked under sections 153-A (promotion of enmity between groups), 506 (criminal intimidation), 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) and 124-A (sedition) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Punjab Assembly dissolved

Earlier in January, the Punjab Assembly was dissolved constitutionally as Punjab Governor Baligh ur Rehman excused himself from signing the summary.

Taking to Twitter, Governor Punjab wrote: “I have decided not to become part of the process leading to the dissolution of Punjab Assembly.”

Pervaiz Elahi forwarded the summary of dissolution on Thursday, and as per the Constitution, the assembly dissolves within 48 hours regardless of the governor’s decision.

According to Article 112 of the Constitution, the assembly stands automatically “dissolved at the expiration of forty-eight hours after the chief minister has so advised” if the governor does not do it.