Elahi advises PTI to distance itself from Gill’s statement

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi Wednesday advised the PTI leadership, including the party chief Imran Khan, to distance itself from Shahbaz Gill’s statement, which allegedly attempted to incite hatred in the Pakistan Army’s ranks.

Appearing in the Geo News program ‘Geo Pakistan’, Elahi said Imran Khan’s directives were clear that a person who spoke against the army was not a Pakistani. “Tehreek-e-Insaf’s leadership should definitely distance itself from Shahbaz Gill’s statement. Even I issued a statement against it,” the chief minister said.

Elahi further said he berated Gill over his statement, asking in what capacity he thought he could dictate the PTI’s narrative. “These are our institutions. You gave a statement against the Pakistan Army. Are you dumb?” Elahi said, sharing his conversation with Gill.

The Punjab CM noted that Gill’s statement did more harm than good to the PTI and its allies.

Elahi said political differences would continue to persist, but there would be no issues between the Centre and the provincial government when it came down to the country’s interest.

The Punjab chief minister said before Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the flood-affected areas in Punjab, he had sent Punjab Inspector General of Police Faisal Shahkar and the province’s chief secretary to visit the areas. “I told them that we will follow every direction of the prime minister,” he said.

Elahi said despite the Punjab IGP and chief secretary being appointed on “Shehbaz’s directions”, he welcomed them with an open heart. “The chief secretary is leaving the post due to some other reason,” Elahi noted, ruling out that he had intervened in the work of bureaucracy.