haudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, known as the Chaudhrys of Gujrat, are at the forefront of an unfolding political drama these days. Cracks have started appearing in their family as well as their party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).

The Chaudhrys have been enjoying power for over four decades. They were in power during Gen Zia’s regime; they held important positions during Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) governments in 1990-92 and 1997-99; they formed the PML-Q and it became the leading political force collaborating with Gen Musharraf soon after he took over in October 1999; and following the 2002 election, Chaudhry Parvez Elahi became the Punjab chief minister while Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was elected the prime minister (for three months in the Zafarullah Jamali-Shaukat Aziz transition). Hussain remained a king-maker during 2002-2007 while Elahi kept increasing his party’s political strength.

They became an ally of the PPP in 2012 after the PML-N left the government coalition and Parvez Elahi was given the status of deputy prime minister.

Now, Elahi is again trying to become Punjab’s chief minister with the support of PTI’s MPAs and some dissidents from the PML-N. This seems to be an uphill task in the current scenario. According to credible reports, PPP’s co-chairman Asif Zardari had persuaded him to join the opposition alliance against PM Khan and former CM Usman Buzdar. However, the PML-N was reluctant to have him as the CM. Zardari spoke to the PML-N supremo and received his go-ahead to nominate Elahi as the joint opposition’s candidate. Elahi then met Zardari, thanked and congratulated him but the very next day met PM Khan who nominated him as his candidate for Punjab’s chief ministership. This left everybody around Elahi stunned.

Shujaat Hussain and his son Salik Hussain, a member of National Assembly, and Tariq Bashir Cheema, secretary general of the PML-Q and a federal minister, were visibly displeased. Cheema resigned from the cabinet and announced his support for the opposition. Salik did not turn up in support of the PTI while Elahi and his son, Moonis Elahi, also a federal minister, started a new campaign to win the chief minister’s slot in the Punjab. Shujaat and his sons have not been visible in the campaign giving credence to reports of a rift within the family despite Shujaat saying otherwise.

It has been said that Shujaat Hussain and some senior partymen had wanted to go with the PML-N but Elahi took his own way. Some analysts say joining hands with the Sharifs would have been a safer bet for the PML-Q’s future.

— Mubasher Bukhari

The writer is a senior journalist, teacher of journalism, and analyst. He tweets at @BukhariMubasher