PTI 'offered' Punjab president post after merger: CM Parvez Elahi

• CM Elahi says he will hold consultations before making decision. 
• No decision had been taken in this regard so far: Elahi.
• Says Khan was their benefactor whom they could never forget.

LAHORE: In a fresh revelation, Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan offered him the slot of party's president in the province if Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) merged with his party, The News reported Wednesday.

Last week, the chief minister hinted at the possibility of a merger between the PTI and PML-Q. The proposal for the merger was shared by Khan in a meeting last Friday. 

Speaking to media persons at a ceremony in Lahore, CM Elahi made it clear that his party had to consult its voters and workers before taking any such decision.

The chief minister stated that the PML-Q had 10 members of the provincial assembly (MPAs) in Punjab and they had to consult the people of their constituencies first. No decision had been taken in this regard as of yet, he said. 

CM Elahi, while responding to a question related to the show cause notice served on him by PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, said Imran Khan was their benefactor whom they could never forget.

On January 16, the PML-Q suspended the basic party membership of Elahi for talking about the possibility of his party's possible merger with the PTI.

A show-cause notice served to Elahi mentioned that Shujaat called an urgent meeting of the senior leaders, where it was noted that the provincial president — Elahi — did not have the authority to merge the party with PTI.

"Your [Elahi] party membership is suspended until the explanation," the notice, a copy of which has also been sent to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), read.

The statement went on to say that PML-Q, as a political party, maintains its individual identity, vote bank, party discipline, and rules and regulations which Elahi violated through his statements.

Speaking on the matter, CM Elahi said those who had served him the show cause were uncomfortable. 

Moreover, sources stated that most of the senior leaders of PTI have opposed the merger idea. They believe that this could seriously harm the party and only benefit the PML-Q because they still believe that PTI is capable of winning the election on its own.

Similarly, some members representing the senior cadre of the PTI think that — with the threat of disqualification already looming over the PTI chief — he must rely on his party stalwarts rather than go for a merger with the PML-Q whose leadership could ultimately become the beneficiary of a situation like it happened in the case of Mian Azhar.

However, senior party leader Shafqat Mehmood, when contacted, dispelled this impression and stated there had been no objection from anyone to this issue.