ALONG with his extended family, Cha­u­dhry Parvez Elahi was once regarded as one of those politicians who rarely stray too far from the establishment’s ‘right’ side.

It wasn’t until recently that he made the mistake of trying to break free from that centre of gravity of all political power. It has cost him dearly and landed him in no man’s land.

Despite his impressive CV — he has served twice as chief minister and speaker of the Punjab Assembly, once as deputy prime minister, has held federal and provincial minister-ships and is the current president of the PTI — Mr Elahi is currently languishing in jail and the chances of him walking free anytime soon seem quite slim.

His family — once regarded as a paragon of unity in Pakistan’s politics — is split down the middle and fighting itself. His son is encamped abroad, away from the establishment’s grasp.

After a year of watching from the sidelines as the PTI pointed fingers at the establishment — something which the septuagenarian scrupulously avoided himself — he decided to take a stand with Imran Khan post-May 9. Though he faced pressures (and incitement) to ditch the PTI, Mr Elahi decided to stick it out. “We are standing with Imran Khan and will continue standing with him. Khan will win,” he passionately declared during one of his court appearances. That resolve has rema­ined unbroken so far.

Family feud

The trouble between the Chaudhrys of Gujrat started when their younger generation started over-shadowing the veterans. Mr Elahi’s son, Moonis, is the one blamed for persuading his father to join the PTI and stand with Imran Khan, even while the ongoing debate on this matter within the family had not been settled. Similarly, Shujaat Hussain’s decision to side with the PML-N is said to have been influenced by his two sons, Salik and Shafay Hussain.

One half of the politically malleable duo that has managed to find space in nearly every set-up since the mid-80s, Parvez now finds himself up the creek without the support of his cousin, the venerable Chaudhry Shujaat

The PML-Q’s decision to enter an electoral alliance with the PML-N ultimately fell apart, as the Sharifs did not fulfil their commitment on seat adjustment.

Meanwhile, the Chaudhrys in the PTI took this as vindication of their decision to join the PTI, noting that the Sharifs had “always” ditched them. However, the two factions remain split, and much bitterness has seeped in between them following the persecution of Elahi’s side of the family over its decision to side with Imran.

‘Bismillah karein’

Mr Elahi was informally ‘launched’ in politics in 1970 when he and his cousin, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, campaigned together for Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi in Gujrat.

Zahoor Elahi was assassinated in 1981, leading to Mr Elahi’s entry on the political stage. He was elected chairman of the Gujrat District Council in 1983 and MPA in the 1985 non-party elections. This was the time when the establishment had also launched Nawaz Sharif.

Once, when Gen Ziaul Haq had had enough of Mr Sharif, he offered Mr Elahi the chief ministership of Punjab with his trademark, “Bismillah karein”. But it was not to be: a reconciliation was eventually reached with the promise that Mr Elahi would be pitched as the next chief minister.

After Gen Zia died in a plane crash in 1988, Mr Elahi was once again lured to the chief ministership, but when the time come, the elder Sharif stepped up to become prime minister and Ghulam Haider Wynne was made chief minister in his place.

Looking to capitalise on the situation, PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto visited the Chaudhrys’ residence to offer Mr Elahi the chief ministership in return for their support. But the Chaudhrys refused, as they retained a sense of loyalty and ideological affinity with the Pakistan Muslim League despite the betrayal by its leaders. Consequently, in the PPP government, Mr Elahi faced persecution and was incarcerated in Adiala jail along with other Muslim League leaders.

Ahead of the 1997 elections, Mr Elahi was again cajoled with promises he would become CM in case the PML emerged victorious. The party won by a landslide, but once again, the spoils went to someone else: Shahbaz Sharif was nominated and elected as the chief minister.

The Musharraf years

But fortunes change. In 1999, the Kargil War resulted in a stand-off between Nawaz Sharif and Gen Pervez Musharraf. The latter would go on to depose Mr Sharif and assume the office of Chief Executive following a military coup.

Initially, Mr Elahi faced yet another period of persecution. He was implicated in politically motivated cases by the newly created NAB and detained. The charges framed against him were only dropped after he reached an agreement to quit the PML-N, which he had remained a part of till Mr Sharif’s ouster.

Thereafter, he assisted Gen Musharraf in building the PML-Q. Along with his cousin, Shujaat Hussain, and other dissidents, he left the PML-N for the Q-League. Mr Sharif was eventually dispatched to Jeddah, and Shahbaz Sharif soon followed.

Mr Elahi was finally elected Punjab chief minister in 2002. The next five years saw the peak of his political career. Proving himself an astute politician, he spearheaded the revival of a depleted economy with efficient, people-oriented decision-making and delivery.

He propelled development in all sectors, including agriculture, industry, infrastructure, education, health, legislation, and law and order across the province. He launched the ‘Parha Likha Punjab’ programme, as well as the Rescue 1122 emergency service to help citizens in distress.

While the Sharifs were in exile, Mr Elahi provided patronage and protection to Hamza Shahbaz and their family businesses. Instead of taking revenge, he did not victimise his adversaries and followed the family policy of “mitti pao” (let bygones be bygones). However, that did not prevent the Chaudhrys from being framed in different cases and persecuted for over a decade once the PML-N returned to rule Punjab from 2008-2018.

On the PTI bandwagon

The PML-Q eventually entered an electoral alliance with the PTI. Following CM Usman Buzdar’s miserable failure and eventual resignation, PML-N’s Hamza Shahbaz was able to briefly retake the chief minister’s office.

In 2022, after three months of political turmoil, Mr Khan finally endorsed Parvez Elahi in the fight to take the CM’s seat back. Mr Elahi obliged with the support of the PML-Q’s 10 MPAs, de-seating Hamza and getting elected as chief minister for a second term. Mr Elahi later joined PTI and was nominated as the party’s Punjab president.

In January 2023, Mr Elahi quite reluctantly dissolved the Punjab Assembly on the insistence of former prime minister Imran Khan and his close aides. Both he and his son had attempted to persuade Mr Khan against the decision, but when the time came, they stood by their commitment to “dissolve the assembly in a minute”. Scores of cases were promptly registered or revived against the father-son duo.

As a result of Mr Elahi’s stance, his entire politics, which the establishment had anchored for over three decades, has been thrown off balance.

He has been arrested repeatedly in a humiliating fashion and has alleged that he has been mistreated during his incarceration. His wife, never before seen in public, is now out fighting his case. Mr Elahi was recently successful in getting his candidature restored and will be contesting the PP-32 seat in his hometown, Gujrat, as an independent candidate.

Illustration by Abdul Sattar Abbasi

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2024