LAHORE: Pakistan People Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s endeavor to save Hamza Shehbaz’s government in Punjab failed as Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Wednesday reiterated his support for his cousin Chaudhry Parvez Elahi in the upcoming election for the Punjab chief minister.
The election will take place on July 22.
It is noteworthy that Shujaat is aligned with the ruling coalition in the Centre, and his son, Chaudhry Salik Hussain, is a member of Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet.
In a policy statement issued by the PML-Q, Shujaat said Elahi was the party’s candidate for the top office, adding that “those who won the mandate have the right to govern”.
The PML-Q president pointed out that he had made similar statements multiple times in the past as well.
In response to report that PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari had asked Shujaat to write a letter instructing PML-Q MPAs not to vote for Elahi, Shujaat said there was “no question” of issuing a letter.
“I do not need to clarify. The solution to the country’s problems lies in not getting involved in cycles of counting [votes],” he said while referring to the election for the chief minister.
“Whoever succeeds in solving the problems of the poor will have completed his numbers in the true sense,” Shujaat said in his statement.
“Those who are elected should serve the people.”
Shujaat said the solution to the country’s problems was to either let the incumbent government stay for a year or more till the general elections or hold fresh elections immediately.
The election for the Punjab chief minister will be held on July 22.
