Elahi welcome as 'family', not as 'politician', says PML-Q's Shafay

As the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) exodus continues unabated amid the crackdown against the party in connection with May 9 riots, Chaudhry Shafay Hussain, the elder son of Chaudhry Shujaat, on Saturday announced that there was no room for Parvez Elahi in Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).

Talking to journalists outside the Corps Commander House (Jinnah House) in Lahore — which came under an arson attack allegedly by the supporters of PTI last month — Shafay said, “Parvez Elahi will be most welcomed if he wants to come as a family [member] but politically, it will be better for him to form his own party.”

“The miscreants burnt everything in Jinnah House,” the PML-Q leader said, adding that those involved in the arson attack at the house should be punished.

Khan's arrest earlier this month sparked days of street protests after which the PTI leaders' exodus started, as security forces launched a crackdown against the party following the attacks on civil and military institutions, including the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and the Lahore Corps Commander’s House. At least eight people were killed in the violent protests in the country.

Shafay was of the view that PTI was behind the attacks on the military installations and smashing statues of the national heroes.

Stressing the need for joint efforts, he said together we have to strengthen the country.

Earlier today, officials of the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) presented Elahi before a Gujranwala court.

Elahi was produced in the court of Duty Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Afzal, where anti-corruption officials will request the court to grant them Elahi’s physical remand.

ACE officials brought Elahi to its regional office in Gujranwala from Lahore earlier this morning.

Yesterday, a special judge of the anti-corruption court in Lahore issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Elahi, ordering authorities to produce him by June 2. However, minutes later he was re-arrested in a corruption case registered against him in Gujranwala by ACE Punjab.