Pakistan Reader# 445, 5 December 2022
Bhoomika Sesharaj
On 4 December, Imran Khan and Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi seemed to run adrift from each other after claims of outgoing COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s alleged involvement in the no-confidence motion garnered contrasting stances from the two. This comes after Imran Khan “accused” Gen Bajwa of playing a “double game” against his government, and CM Elahi claimed that Gen Bajwa had pushed the PML-Q towards the PTI in March of this year. The contrasting opinions of the two resulted after CM Elahi, in an interview following the statement of his son, Moonis Elahi, that Gen Bajwa had “suggested” that the PML-Q should “support” the PTI during the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan, and that he had rendered Imran Khan the “better option” than the present coalition of the PDM government.
What did CM Elahi and Moonis Elahi say?
CM Elahi said that he was aware that the opposition led by the Sharif family would “let” him become the chief minister of Punjab, and that he was “betrayed” by the family in the past. He lauded Gen Bajwa’s suggestions of supporting the PTI and said that his untrustworthiness of the Shariff family would be preceded by his willingness to put faith in the PTI government. These comments came after Moonis Elahi made similar remarks in the previous week, with CM Elahi admitting Moonis’ role in “convincing” him to support the PTI instead of joining the PDM. Moonis bashed a social media campaign against Gen Bajwa and said that he lay in disagreement with the PTI speaking against Gen Bajwa. He said:
“...Had he been bad, he wouldn’t have asked us to back Imran.”
“...This is my point of contention with PTI and anyone who calls him a traitor,” he continued, “he was seen as perfectly fine when he was going in their support and now he is called a turncoat.”
Moonis contended his party’s alliance with the PTI quite strongly and said that his inclination had been toward the PTI and that there is “no doubt about it.” He said that Gen Bajwa resounded this alliance and that his stance resolved Moonis’ qualms of forming an alliance with the PTI.
What did the government say?
On 4 December, Railways Minister Saad Rafiqui condemned Imran Khan’s claims on Gen Bajwa and said that he is a person who admits to his mistakes “every day” and that Gen Bajwa’s extension as army chief was made “behind closed doors.” He remarked that Imran Khan wanted the appointment of the new army chief to be made by a new government and that his claims and actions lack credible ground. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal also said that Imran was “creating a drama” out of the establishment’s role in politics and that Pakistan is aware of the “reality” of how helpful the military was in the 2018 elections only for it to stray away from the party’s “failure upon failures.”
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah also criticised this array of comments on Gen Bajwa’s involvement in Imran Khan’s no-confidence motion and questioned Moonis Elahi on the necessity of these remarks. He said that Gen Bajwa had completed his term and that “his benefit and loss” does not matter. He contended that the establishment’s decisive stance to not interfere in politics has “raised doubts” after Moonis Elahi’s statement and that clarification regarding the matter was imperative.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned Imran Khan’s comments and said that his stance was hurting the “foundations” of Pakistan and that his politics were aimed at undermining democracy. (“Imran, Elahi adrift on Bajwa role in no-trust,” The Express Tribune, 5 December 2022; “Punjab CM Elahi echoes son Moonis’ remarks, says Gen Bajwa nudged PML-Q towards PTI,” Dawn, 4 December 2022; “‘Gen Bajwa showed us the path to support PTI’, says CM Elahi,” The Express Tribune, 4 December 2022; “Imran accuses Gen Bajwa of playing ‘double game’ against his govt,” The Express Tribune, 4 December 2022; “Moonis’ claims on Gen Bajwa have raised ‘doubts’ on institution’s apolitical stance: Sanaullah,” Dawn, 3 December 2022)
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