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The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday formally appointed Chaudhry Parvez Elahi as the party president, mere weeks after he joined it after being promised to be elevated to the post.
“Chaudhry Pervez Elahi is hereby designated as President Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf,” read a brief notification signed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan confirming the development. The party subsequently issued a video of Elahi receiving the notification of his appointment from PTI Senior Vice-President Chaudhry Fawad Hussain. “No one has respected me like Imran Khan, and we all have to work together to strengthen him,” Elahi wrote on Twitter after being confirmed as the PTI’s president, thanking Khan.
Elahi is the first person to hold the position of PTI president since the ouster of Javed Hashmi, who served in the position from 2012 till 2014. After his exit, the party abolished the position, and it is not included in the party constitution submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan. Prior to his ouster, Hashmi was the second-highest official, serving under Chairman Imran Khan. It is unclear if Elahi enjoys the same authority, or whether the revived office has been placed at a lower rung of the party’s hierarchy.
The new PTI president joined the party last month after separating from the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid) along with 10 former lawmakers of the Punjab Assembly. The PTI perceives this as a means to secure additional seats in the provincial assembly with the help of political ‘electables,’ while the former PMLQ leader has repeatedly asserted he and Khan are simpatico and will work together to secure the next government. Elahi, as chief minister of Punjab, also repeatedly asserted that he was dissolving the provincial assembly on the direct instructions of Khan, while making it clear he had advised to remain in government.