The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) is a political party in Pakistan that was founded in 2004. The party was formed by a group of politicians who had previously been members of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML), but had split from the party due to ideological differences.

The PML-Q is a center-right party that advocates for a liberal economic policy and is generally supportive of the idea of a strong federal government. The party has traditionally been strong in the Punjab province, and has held a number of key positions at the national and provincial levels of government.

One of the most notable leaders of the PML-Q is Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi, who served as the Chief Minister of Punjab from 2002 to 2007. Elahi is a seasoned politician and is known for his pragmatic approach to problem-solving and his ability to work across party lines.

The PML-Q has faced criticism from some quarters for its close alliance with the military, which has been accused of interfering in Pakistani politics in the past. However, the party has also been praised for its efforts to promote stability and development in the Punjab province, and has a strong base of support among voters.

Despite facing challenges and controversies, the PML-Q remains a significant player in Pakistani politics and has a strong presence in the National Assembly and the Punjab Provincial Assembly.

In the past, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) has played a significant role in the formation of national and provincial governments in Pakistan. In 2002, the party formed an alliance with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) to form a coalition government in the Punjab province, with Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi serving as Chief Minister.

The PML-Q has also been a key ally of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) at various times, and has supported PPP-led governments at the national level. However, the party has also formed alliances with other political parties and has sometimes contested elections independently.

In recent years, the PML-Q has faced criticism for its close alliance with the military and its perceived lack of opposition to military intervention in politics. Some have also accused the party of being too closely aligned with certain business interests, and have called for greater transparency in its political activities.

Despite these criticisms, the PML-Q remains a popular and influential political party in Pakistan, and has a strong base of support among voters. The party has consistently advocated for economic development, stability, and the rule of law, and has played a key role in shaping the direction of Pakistani politics.

INTRODUCTION

Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is the 19th and current Chief Minister of Punjab. He took the oath of Chief Minister of Punjab on July 27, 2022 at Aiwan-e-Sadr Islamabad. He has been a member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab since August

Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is the 19th and current Chief Minister of Punjab. He took the oath of Chief Minister of Punjab on July 27, 2022 at Aiwan-e-Sadr Islamabad. He has been a member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab since August 2018. He has the honour to be the first Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was born on 1st November 1945 in Gujrat. He studied at Forman Christian College University Lahore, completed graduation in 1967, and obtained a diploma in Industrial Management from the University of Oxford.

His father Chaudhry Manzur Elahi was the elder brother of late Chaudhry Zahur Elahi. Chaudhry Manzur Elahi left his hometown Gujrat in 1939 to pursue further studies. He received his degree in textile engineering from Amritsar in 1940.

Upon his return from Amritsar, Chaudry Manzur Elahi teamed up with his brother Chaudhry Zahur Elahi to develop their textile business. In 1947-48, he Established two textile units under the names of Gujrat Silk Mills and Pakistan Textile Mills. In 1950, the business was expanded to Lahore where they established Parvez Textile Mills, specializing in weaving, finishing and dyeing.

In 1951-52, Chaudhry Manzur Elahi went to Japan to import textile machinery for his Gujrat and Lahore units. Armed with his textile education and superior business ethics, Chaudry Manzur Elahi’s textile units continued to flourish under his leadership. The family continued to dedicate their energies to their business and set up Modern Flour Mills in Lahore and Rawalpindi.

Ch. Pervaiz Elahi became chairman of the Gujrat district council in 1983 and has been serving as an MPA (Member of Provincial Assembly) of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab since 1985. He served as Minister for Local Government and Rural Development during 1985-88, 1988–90 and 1990-93. He was Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly during 1993-96, and also the Leader of the Opposition later. He was the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly during 1997-99.

In 1987, the family diversified into the sugar industry. They set up two sugar mills, at Mian Channu (Khanewal) and at Phalia (Mandi Bahauddin). The family also expanded their textile business by entering spinning and cotton yarn in 1990-91 and consequently set up two separate units in Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin.

In 1997 when the interim Government announced that no one would be allowed to contest in the elections without clearing their loans, the family faced serious financial problems. They managed to sell their sugar and cotton yarn in advance for coming two years at lower rates to repay their loans. From 1993-97, several alleged cases were registered against Chaudhry Parvez Elahi. He was detained in Adiyla Jail Rawalpindi for several months.

In the elections of 2002, he was elected for a sixth consecutive term from two constituencies, PP 110 (Gujrat) and PP 292 (Rahim Yar Khan). On November 29, 2002, he was inducted as the Chief Minister of Punjab, serving until November 22, 2007, when the five-year mandate ended for the provincial assembly of Punjab.

He has been praised for making great contributions to agriculture and irrigation, education, health, IT, public sector development, infrastructure, supply of gas and electricity and law and order while serving as Chief Minister of Punjab. These steps were endorsed and appreciated by various donor agencies such as World Bank.

For the first time in Punjab, all citizens were offered all levels of health care and medical facilities completely free of cost. Thousands of water courses were bricklined. For the first time in Lahore, traffic was controlled by traffic wardens. Even his most fierce rivals have acknowledged his work.

His other notable achievements include setting up of Pervaiz Elahi Institute of Cardiology in Multan, University of Gujrat in Gujrat, Traffic Wardens system in Lahore, Rescue 1122 service in Punjab, water course brick lining and Lahore Ring Road Project.

In the February 2008 parliamentary election, Ch. Pervaiz Elahi ran for the National Assembly as a PML-Q candidate, and it was believed that the party wanted him to become Prime Minister after the election. He ran for the seats NA-58 in Attock, NA-61 in Chakwal, and NA-187 in Bahawalpur. After the election, he was reported to have won the National Assembly seat in Attock but lost the other two. He was leader of the opposition in the National Assembly untill 14 September 2008.

He secured his victory in general elections in 2013. He was re-elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of PML-Q from Constituency NA-65 and NA-69 in 2018 general election. In the same election, he was re-elected to the Provincial Assembly of Punjab as a candidate of PML-Q from Constituency PP-30 (Gujrat-III). Following his successful election, he abandoned his national assembly seats in favour of the provincial assembly seat.

He was named by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and PML-Q as their joint candidate for the office of Speaker of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab. On 16 August 2018, he was re-elected as Speaker of the Punjab Assembly.