Elahi averted situation when some people wanted attack on Fazl’s sit-in: Chaudhry Shujaat

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has disclosed that Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had averted a dangerous situation in late 2019 when some people wanted an attack on the sit-in of Maulana Fazlur Rehman in the federal capital.

In a statement issued on Friday, the veteran politician said when the Maulana had come to Islamabad for staging a sit-in (dharna), some people were in favour of attacking the gathering. But nobody was ready to talk to Imran Khan, Shujaat said adding, all were asking each other to talk to the premier on the issue.

He said although Ch Pervaiz Elahi was not a member of the government negotiating team, he was asked to talk to Imran Khan. Ch Pervaiz Elahi, in his meeting, told Imran Khan that if violence starts, any protester might be killed. “In such a situation, nobody will be ready to take the responsibility, but you will have to answer for the incident,” Pervaiz told Imran and then the idea was abandoned.

About the accusations against the PML-Q by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Ch Shujaat said: “According to the circumstances, mutual thinking of Ch Pervaiz Elahi and mine, the matter was solved.

“Common man could not think as to what would be the situation when the armed police will be standing on the one side of the road and the madrasa students will be standing on the other side, waiting for orders of Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

“On that occasion, I would essentially say that Maulana Fazlur Rehman demonstrated great far-sightedness. And due to our strategy, it happened for the first time in the history of Pakistan that maulvi sahiban and the police were standing on a few steps distance but no fight took place, and not even a single glass was broken in whole of the event.”

The PML-Q chief said “we all should learn lessons from the history and reform ourselves according to the changing times”. He said that Geo News and 24 channel are two events, which are based on realities.

Recalling another incident, Shujaat said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had asked for arresting Maleeha Lodhi in sedition case. She was editor of The News at that time. However, added Ch Shujaat, he disagreed with Nawaz Sharif on the issue and told him that the step would not give a good impression to journalists and the international communities.

Ch Shujaat said he would suggest to Imran Khan to try to solve all media problems, especially Jang/Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman's arrest and the PEMRA ban on Channel 24 through mutual consultations. He hoped that all these issue would be resolved, as there was nothing which could not be ignored and avoided to overcome crisis of the country. He believed that Information Minister Shibli Faraz could play an important role in that regard. "One should forget everything else and try to solve the country's problems," he said.