Pervaiz Elahi says contacts with former PTI allies restored

LAHORE: Former Punjab chief minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Pervaiz Elahi on Sunday claimed that the party had restored contact with old allies, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), ARY News reported.

In a statement, the PTI president said that MQM-P suffered immense political loss following its alliance with the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

Pervaiz Elahi alleged that there is a perception in their ranks that there is no point in continuing the alliance with the PDM.

The former Punjab CM further said that the Balochistan government and the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) also have strong reservations about the incumbent government’s anti-Constitution and anti-national policies.

“[PTI chairman] Imran Khan will soon call a meeting of all the parties and communicate the next plan of action,” he added.

Referring to coalition parties’ meeting – held a day earlier, Elahi said that the PDM’s declaration based on unconstitutional demands was an open interference in the Supreme Court’s (SC) affairs. “The declaration has used threatening and insulting language against the apex court,” he added.

He also said that the incumbent government was taking its last hiccups, adding that its last resort to stop the election would also prove unsuccessful.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Karachi chapter expressed its concern over party president Pervaiz Elahi’s move to contact Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) for dialogue.

The participants said that Pervaiz Elahi should have taken Karachi leadership into confidence before contacting the Khalid Maqbool-led party. “We cannot join hands with MQM-P as it is an ally of PDM [Pakistan Democratic Movement],” sources said, quoting the participants.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan – while talking to a delegation of journalists – denied any role being played by President Arif Alvi between the establishment and his party.

The former premier stated that PTI leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Pervaiz Elahi have been tasked to reestablish contacts with other political parties.