Hussain Elahi joins Salik in criticising Maryam

The political rift within the influential Chaudhry family of Gujrat has resurfaced after Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) MNA Chaudhry Hussain Elahi criticised Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz over alleged discrimination in development funding and the handling of public welfare projects.

Hussain Elahi, son of former Punjab minister Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain, supported allegations previously levelled by his cousin and Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain against the provincial government.

Addressing a public gathering at Qila Islam Nagar near Tanda, Hussain accused the Maryam Nawaz-led administration of withholding funds for development schemes initiated during the tenure of former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi in 2022.

He claimed that the provincial government had allocated Rs11 billion for purchasing an aircraft for the chief minister but had failed to release Rs3 billion required to complete ongoing development projects in his constituency.

Questioning the government’s priorities, he said public welfare schemes should receive greater attention than spending on an aircraft. He also alleged that the provincial administration was focusing primarily on Lahore while neglecting other districts.

The latest criticism follows an escalating exchange between Maryam Nawaz and Chaudhry Salik Hussain, who had praised Parvez Elahi’s performance while criticising the incumbent chief minister during a television appearance earlier this month.

Maryam Nawaz responded by challenging Salik to substantiate his allegations and issuing him a legal notice. She warned that he would face legal proceedings if he failed to provide evidence.

The chief minister also questioned why Salik continued serving in the provincial and federal coalition government if he believed its administration was corrupt.

She maintained that the dispute was actually linked to the recent transfer of Gujrat’s deputy commissioner. According to Maryam, Salik wanted an officer of his choice appointed to the position, while she had made a different decision.

Responding to the chief minister’s remarks, Hussain Elahi said he was prepared to take the entire Punjab government to court over the alleged neglect of Gujrat.

He rejected claims that the provincial government had spent Rs12 billion on development in Gujrat, saying residents were well aware of the city’s actual condition.

He further claimed that several important roads in his constituency had remained incomplete or in poor condition for the past four years.

Hussain also alleged irregularities in the Suthra Punjab and Model Village projects, arguing that those responsible would eventually have to answer for their actions.

His father, Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain, also defended Parvez Elahi’s previous government, highlighting the development and public welfare initiatives undertaken during his tenure as Punjab chief minister.

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari rejected the criticism, saying the development work being carried out under Maryam Nawaz’s leadership had caused considerable discomfort among certain political opponents.

Reacting to a video of Hussain Elahi’s speech shared on social media platform X, Bokhari questioned the performance of political figures who had held influential positions for years but, in her view, had failed to improve conditions in Gujrat.

She also criticised their remarks against Lahore, defending the provincial government’s development priorities.

The latest exchange has also brought longstanding divisions within the Chaudhry family back into the spotlight.

The family’s political loyalties remain divided between different groups, despite several members belonging to PML-Q.

Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain and his sons, Hussain and Musa Elahi, have maintained strained relations with the sons of PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Salik and Shafay Hussain.

Both Salik and Shafay have held positions in federal and provincial cabinets over the past two-and-a-half years.

Meanwhile, the PTI-aligned faction led by Parvez Elahi has also remained unhappy with Wajahat Hussain’s group. The tension intensified after Musa Elahi won the Punjab Assembly seat from Kunjah, a constituency previously represented by Parvez Elahi multiple times since 1985.

Recent statements by Wajahat and his sons had fuelled speculation about a possible reconciliation between the rival family factions. However, Parvez Elahi’s son Moonis Elahi has rejected suggestions of an impending reunion.

In a post on X on Monday, Moonis criticised the Wajahat Hussain faction and indicated that his family would continue keeping its distance from Chaudhry Shujaat’s sons.

He suggested that Wajahat’s sons were expressing their frustration because Salik and Shafay had secured government positions while they had been left without ministerial portfolios.

Moonis added that the situation might have been different had the PML-N also offered them ministerial positions, suggesting that political differences within the family remain far from resolved.