Parvez Elahi says no decision made on PML-Q merger with PTI

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader and outgoing Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi said Tuesday that his party has not made a decision yet over the issue of the merger with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Aaj News reported.

Talking to reporters, Elahi said that PTI chairman Imran Khan has offered him the party presidency in return.

However, Elahi said that he has to discuss the issue with the party leadership and workers.

The development comes a day after PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain suspended the party membership of Parvez Elahi over his comments regarding the party’s possible merger with the PTI.

Last week, Elahi said that consultations were underway on a possible merger of PML-Q with PTI.

Earlier, PTI Chairman Imran Khan said that the PML-Q could merge with the PTI in the future. At a meeting with the journalists on Friday, he said that PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi played an important role (in helping materialise the plan of dissolving the Punjab Assembly).

Last year, differences emerged between Shujaat and Elahi over the issue of support for PTI and the PDM government.

Shujaat Hussain, who is the president of PML-Q, supported PDM candidate Hamza Shehbaz’s bid to become chief minister while PTI had put its weight behind Pervez Elahi’s candidature.

Elahi claims to have the support of the PML-Q parliamentary party and the authority of making all decisions.

Meanwhile, Chairman Imran Khan and PML-Q leader Ch Parvaiz Elahi have finalized the names for the post of caretaker chief minister in Punjab.

Ahmed Nawaz Sukhira, Nasir Ahmed Khan and Nasir Saeed Khosa are included in the final list. While talking to the media after having meeting with PTI chairman Imran at his residence in Zaman Park, Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvaiz Elahi said: “three names for the Caretaker Chief Minister have been finalized in consultation, among which the first name is Ahmed Nawaz Sukhira”.