“[It] shows political pragmatism can trump political polarisation in the most difficult of times,” the senator added. Expressing that it was a good sign that political parties showed maturity for common interests, Sayed gave full credit to the Chuadhrys. To a question about the role of Chaudhrys, Shibli said, “They are political people and know how to achieve objectives by making reasonable arrangements. The Chaudhrys have similar influence in Punjab that Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak has in K-P.”However, he said that Elahi, being the Punjab Assembly speaker, had more access to and influence over other parties in Punjab. Five seats each have gone to the ruling PTI and opposition PML-N, while PTI’s ally in Punjab – PML-Q – grabbed one seat.

Source: The Express Tribune February 26, 2021 18:40 UTC