By Irum Saleem
Former federal minister of PML-Q Moonis Elahi’s disclosure that former army chief retired Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa had ‘advised his party to support the PTI’ during the no-trust move then prime minister Imran Khan has opened a new Pandora box.
During a talk show on Hum News on Thursday Mr Moonis spoke in favour of Gen Bajwa and termed criticism of him uncalled for. “Currently a certain section on social media is engaged in bashing Bajwa sahib without any reason. Gen Bajwa is the same person who had changed the direction of the river’s flow for the PTI. I have a disagreement with the PTI or anyone else regarding speaking against the retired army chief,” Moonis maintained and questioned if this man had gone all out for the PTI but now that he had retired he became bad… This is not fair. “Had he been bad, he (Bajwa) wouldn’t have asked us to back Imran Khan,” he disclosed.
حامد میر صاحب @HamidMirPAK نہ کل ہماری ملاقات میں اور نہ کبھی اس سے پہلے میں نے اس طرح کی کوئی بات کی ہے۔ عمران خان @ImranKhanPTI آج بھی میرا PM ہے۔ pic.twitter.com/nrecKpoxAa
— Moonis Elahi (@MoonisElahi6) December 2, 2022
The PML-Q led by Chaudhry Parvez Elahi could have gone either way at the very critical juncture in March last…but they chose to remain with Imran Khan. “We had offers from both sides — the PDM and PTI — but chose to be with Khan’s party as we were already part of his coalition government,” Moonis said and also talked about his own inclination towards PTI.
Mr Moonis further said: “When we had offers from both sides, I spoke to father (Chaudhry Parvez Elahi) and he had a talk with the military establishment. “They (a reference to Gen Bajwa) said.. It is my wish that you side with PTI. Had that man (Gen Bajwa) been bad, why would he have asked us to side with them at that critical juncture.”
آج ہماری PM @ImranKhanPTI سے ملاقات ہوئی ہے ۔ اس ملاقات میں ان کو یقین دہانی کرا دی ہے کہ یہ وزارت اعلٰی ان کی امانت ہے جب وہ چاہیں گے پنجاب اسمبلی تحلیل ہو جائے گی۔ @EllahiHussain @PervezKhattakPK pic.twitter.com/j1NAdn7p0P
— Moonis Elahi (@MoonisElahi6) December 1, 2022
Mr Moonis has tried to put the ‘political record straight’. Although at the party level Mr Moonis had tried to bridge the gap between the PTI and the military leadership but the efforts did not bear fruit.
Mr Moonis’ revelation has triggered a debate in political circles with many speculating about the future relationship of Imran Khan with the Chaudhrys.
Mr Moonis however stood with Mr Khan in thick and thin. Although there were a lot of offers and temptations from the Sharifs but he never budged. PAK DESTINY
