ISLAMABAD: Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Tuesday asserted that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif failed to convince his brother, party’s supremo Nawaz Sharif, in accepting Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).
The statement comes as PML-Q, after considerable delay, formally announced siding with Prime Minister Imran Khan following the premier’s decision to nominate Elahi as the new Punjab chief minister.
Talking to a private news outlet, Elahi claimed, “The people who matter in PML-N were not on board. For example, Maryam Nawaz did not like the proposition. Her group was not ready to hand over everything in Punjab to a party that has seven to 10 seats.”
The Punjab Assembly speaker further said that despite Shehbaz’s own stature, he could not convince people who mattered in his party and, at the same time, when the PML-N and PPP were sending their proposals, the PTI was also giving them “serious” offers.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan had himself called me and told me to come at Bani Gala — where the matter was settled,” Elahi added.
Talking about the proposal for MQM-P, Elahi said that he had suggested to the prime minister to offer the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and the governorship of Sindh to MQM-P.
Elahi further said that he had spoken to Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, and he had also assured him that the MQM-P was on board.
A day earlier, senior MQM-P leader Waseem Akhtar had expressed reservations over PML-Q’s decision to side with the ruling PTI as the government allies were planning on taking a joint decision.
‘Baseless claims’
In response, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb rejected all claims of the PML-Q leader and termed them “baseless.”
“The statement of a 10-member party is baseless, there is no truth to it,” the PML-N spokesperson said in a statement. Aurangzeb said that the joint Opposition had decided to give an offer to Elahi, but he has now rejected it.
