Federal minister urges Gen (retd) Bajwa to clarifiy Parvez, Moonis' claims

Federal Minister for Energy Khurram Dastagir on Tuesday said that former chief of army staff (COAS) General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa should issue a clarification on Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leaders Chaudhry Moonis and Chaudhry Parvez Elahi's claims.

Talking to Hamid Mir on Geo News talk show 'Capital Talk', the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader said the army has repeatedly urged politicians not to drag them into politics.

He said that if Gen (retd) Bajwa gave political advice to Parvez Elahi, it would violate Article 244 of the Constitution.

The power minister also said that PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari have admitted to their past mistakes, and now they should also admit the mistake of giving an extension to the former army chief.

The PML-N leader, talking about Khan, said that he came to power with the establishment's support.

Talking about the possible dissolution of the Punjab and KP assemblies, the power minister said that Imran Khan would not dissolve the provincial assemblies. He added that in case of a dissolution of the assemblies, they would conduct elections in the two provinces.

Dastgir urged Gen (retd) Bajwa to issue an explanation over the statements by Chaudhry Moonis Elahi and Parvez Elahi, adding that the armed forces' policy of non-interference in political matters should be maintained. "If the army wants to retract from politics, politicians should also not call them for political help," he added.

The Punjab CM and Moonis, in two different interviews last week, claimed that the former army chief advised them to back Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) moved a vote of no-confidence against then-prime minister Imran Khan.

Moonis Elahi, during an interview with a private TV channel, said that both PTI and PDM offered them the chief ministership, but Gen (retd) Bajwa advised them to support the PTI.

CM Elahi endorsed the claim three days later and said, "God changed our path at the last moment when they were heading towards PML-N and sent Gen (retd) Bajwa to show us the way."

He added that Gen (retd) Bajwa advised them that the path towards the IK-led party would suit them.

Elahi said that he received offers from both PTI and PDM, but following the advice of the former COAS, they opted for PTI.

The chief minister maintained that his son Moonis had also suggested to side with the PTI.