PML-Q to stay away from govt if NAB summons Chaudhrys

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) would next week pond over a proposal that if the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) summons its leaders in 20-year-old case, then it would defend them while temporarily staying away from the government both at the Centre and the Punjab level, reliable sources told The News here on Tuesday. The sources said former prime minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi have decided to organize a party meeting in which they would obtain input from the party elders over the proposal of staying away from the government while facing the NAB’s inquiries in assets beyond means case. They said PML-Q would not open up a Pandora's box but would thoroughly defend its leadership against all odds, adding “PML-Q will not make any compromise over honor and reputation of the Chaudhrys family.”

The sources said the Chaudhry family believes that there are some elements that are out to malign them so if NAB summons them then they would take a high moral ground by quitting the coalition governments and facing inquiries utilizing all legal forums.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan had pledged during his recent meeting with Minister for Housing and Works Tariq Bashir Cheema that he would dig out the facts regarding re-opening of old case against the Chaudhrys family but PML-Q has so far not been informed whether he has taken any kind of step in this respect,” the sources said.

“The Chaudhrys of Gujrat are now convinced that they are not being given fair treatment despite the fact that their party fully supported the coalition governments of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) at the federal and the provincial level,” the sources said.

The sources said Prime Minister Imran Khan always kept a distance from the Chaudhry family and whenever he visited Lahore he deliberately avoided having meeting with Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan also never ever contacted Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain to inquire after him. He also refused to include Moonis Elahi into the federal cabinet despite repeated requests from the Chaudhry family,” the sources said.

The sources said Prime Minister Imran Khan seemed to be unhappy over issuance of production orders of Hamza Shahbaz by Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, adding “The meeting between the Chaudhry brothers and the Khawaja brothers had also added fuel to fire because it happened at the time when a rift surfaced between Prime Minister Imran Khan and his close aide Jahangir Khan Tareen after submission of report on the sugar crisis.”

When contacted, PML-Q’s leader Kamil Ali Agha told The News that there are some elements who want to defame leadership of PML-Q so if NAB summons their leaders in an old case then they can take any ‘big decision’ against this political victimization.

“We will sit together in an upcoming meeting and take some important decisions regarding NAB’s inquiries against the Chaudhrys brothers. Our party will raise voice against political victimization through NAB that has lost its credibility in the eyes of the people,” he said.

Despite repeated attempts by this correspondent in last couple of days Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and Chaudhry Moonis Elahi were not available for comments.