Elahi says Imran Khan advised to mend relations with military

Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi has said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan had been convinced to patch up relations with the military.

In an interview to a private TV channel, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader said that renewed relations between the military and the PTI were hurting Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders.

Elahi also stated that he had advised the PTI leadership to distance itself from the anti-army comments made by Imran Khan’s chief of staff Shahbaz Gill.

Elahi said that he had delivered a statement against Shahbaz Gill’s comments against the Pakistan Army, which was a significant national institution, and questioned him whether he was out of his senses.

According to Elahi, Gill’s comments did more harm than good, and he had no right to defy party policy. He said that he and his son Moonis Elahi had persuaded the PTI chairman that without the backing of the Pakistan Army, there could be no “move ahead”.

The Punjab chief minister said Imran Khan had been convinced to mend relations with the army and matters were being sorted out.

He said everyone was asking Imran Khan to keep cool relations with the army to achieve success.

CM Elahi added, “Imran Khan has shown flexibility in this case and given a statement that any person who gives a statement against Pakistan Army was not a patriot Pakistani.”

Elahi further said that he had not spoken to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif about the relationship between the Punjab administration and the federal government and that he had no plans to do so in the future. However, he claimed that he had given the chief secretary and police chief orders to follow proper protocol while dealing with the prime minister and carry out his directives in the province. He stated that he expected the prime minister to reciprocate and take appropriate action.