Pervez Elahi advises PTI leadership to distance itself from Shahbaz Gill’s statement
ISLAMABAD ( Web News )
Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi on Wednesday advised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership, including party chairperson Imran Khan, to distance itself from Dr. Shahbaz Gill’s statement, which allegedly attempted to incite hatred within the Pakistan Army’s ranks.
In an interview with a private TV channel, Pervez Elahi said Imrna Khan’s directives are clear: a person who speaks against the army is 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.
Further, Pervez Elahi said that he berated Shahbaz Gill over his statement, asking in what capacity did he think he could dictate 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.
Moving on, Pervez Elahi said that political differences would continue to persist, but there would be no issues between the Centre and the provincial government when it will come down to the country’s interest.
Pervez Elahi added that before Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif visited the flood-affected areas in Punjab, he sent Punjab Inspector-General of Police Faisal Shahkar and the Province’s Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal to visit the areas. “I told them that we will follow every direction of the prime minister,” he said.
Pervez Elahi said that despite the Punjab IG and chief secretary being appointed on “Shehbaz Sharif’s directions”, he welcomed them with an open heart.
“The chief secretary is leaving the post due to some other reason,” Pervez Elahi noted, ruling out that he intervened in the work of bureaucracy. He said that the media should inquire about the matters relating to Punjab from him and his son Chaudhry Moonis Elahi.