Alvi, Chaudhrys discuss presidential election

LAHORE : Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) President and former Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and acting Punjab Governor Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi have said they would made efforts to ensure that Dr Arif Alvi gets heavy majority while other parties in the alliance are also fully supporting him.

The PML-Q leaders said this when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf presidential candidate Dr Arif Alvi and other party leaders called on them at their residence here on Saturday.

Dr Arif Alvi was accompanied by PTI leaders Jahangir Tareen, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, Makhdoom Khushro Bakhtiar, Ishaq Khakwani, Amir Dogar and Halim Adil Sheikh.

PML-Q leaders Tariq Bashir Cheema, Kamil Ali Agha, Bao Rizwan, Tariq Hassan, Dr Afzal, Ehsanul and Rah-e-Haq Party's Muhammad Muaviya were also present.

During the meeting, they held consultations regarding the presidential election.

Afterwards, talking to the media, Dr Arif Alvi said, “We will benefit from political experience of the senior politicians like Shujaat Hussain and Pervaiz Elahi, and Inshall would be victorious with heavy majority.

Pervaiz Elahi said, “We have been working together since our party made alliance with PTI. Now our campaign is continuing with great speed to ensure that Dr Arif Alvi gets heavy majority. The other parties in the alliance are also fully supporting him.” Responding to a question, he said, “We are in constant contact with Dr Tahirul Qadri. Pervaiz Elahi said, “Imran Khan and our party are raising voice jointly over the issues regarding Model Town tragedy. The Punjab chief minister has also talked in this context.”

Replying to a question about contact with the opposition’s presidential candidate Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Pervaiz Elahi said, “He had phoned me during which we both kept laughing.”

In response to a question, Pervaiz Elahi thanked Imran Khan and said, “It is nice of him that the government had taken up activation of our established hospitals and other projects and it is rectifying the wrong works of Shahbaz Sharif in a determined manner.”

About the appointment of a opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly, he said that opposition leader is the right of the opposition. I don’t not know why they are in so much hurry that one person has put signatures of all, and as such, they themselves are responsible for the delay.”

Thanking Pervaiz Elahi for the support, Dr Arif Alvi said, “We are happy that such senior politicians are with us in Punjab. Imran Khan has said that he had asked Pervaiz Elahi to shoulder responsibilities in the Punjab Assembly.”

Dr Arif Alvi said that, if elected, he would be the president of whole Pakistan, not just of one province. I will talk in the context of issues, and will get the water problem in Karachi solved along with the Sindh governor. I am grateful to Imran Khan that he has entrusted me with this responsibility. I will take all along.”