Lahore, Nov 19: The Chaudhrys of Gujrat are reportedly leaving no stone unturned to ensure that former Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz does not return to his office in 2008.

According to The News, Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi has surfaced as a strong candidate for the slot, and he is working on all channels leading to the Prime Minister House.

The daily said that Aziz’s reincarnation in the same office in 2008 largely depends on Farooq Leghari’s team and President Pervez Musharraf’s will, as Elahi has started his journey towards Islamabad with all seriousness.

“Not only the Chaudhrys have succeeded in mustering support for themselves in the party, they have also tossed a challenge towards Shaukat Aziz, asking him to prove his political muscles at the electorate without their support,” the paper reported, adding that Elahi is all set to contest not only from Bahawalpur (Yazman), but he might try his luck in Attock or Chakwal also.

“Having covered the desired ground within the party, the Chaudhrys are trying to make sure the former PM doesn’t find a political host to grow on in the Punjab and elsewhere,” it added.

Attock Nazim Tahir Sadiq, a close relative of the Chaudhrys, has apparently turned down Aziz’s request for borrowing his seat on the pretext that the party leadership will have to be consulted first. Aziz had won from NA-59 (Attock-III) the last time, besides securing NA-229 (Tharparkar-I).

The Chaudhrys are also in contact with Arbab Ghulam Rahim in a bid to counter the President’s influence so that Aziz fail to get a favourable response.

“Apart from this, the Chaudhrys had penetrated to an extent in the ranks within the party, which had formed a loose anti-Chaudhrys group, deriving strength from the President. This gang of a few ministers and some MNAs had grown tall in the recent past. The Chaudhrys have only focused on the pure PML breed amongst the group,” the paper said.

Aziz, on the other hand, is trying to get his hopes financed by former president Sardar Farooq Ahmad Leghari’s camp, who is a convert to the PML but has hardly been comfortable with the Chaudhrys.

The former premier is also looking for donors across the country, and is said to have put all his eggs in the President’s basket, the daily said, adding that the former National Alliance, which was led by Sardar Farooq Leghari in the 2002 general elections, has come forward to save the PM’s political life. (ANI)