Gen (retd) Bajwa should issue clarification on Parvez, Moonis' claims: minister

• Dastagir says if Gen (retd) Bajwa kept giving political advice, it would Article 244's violation.
• Says if army wants to retract from politics, politicians shouldn't approach them.
• Policy of army not interfering in politics should be maintained, he adds.

Power Minister Khurram Dastagir on Tuesday said that former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa should issue a clarification on the claims made by Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi and his son Moonis Elahi.

Speaking during a Geo News programme "Capital Talk", Dastgir said the army has continuously asked not to be dragged it into politics.

"If Gen (retd) Bajwa kept on giving political advice to Parvez Elahi, then this would be a violation ofArticle 244 of the Constitution," he said.

The power minister also said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari have admitted the mistakes they made in the past and now they should also admit the mistake of giving an extension to the former army chief.

The PML-N leader, talking about Khan, said that he came to power with support.

"Imran Khan will not dissolve the assemblies and if he dissolvesPunjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies, then we will conduct elections there," he said.

Dastagir said that Gen (retd) Bajwa should give an explanation of the statements made by the PML-Q leader and Punjab CM.

"If the army wants to retract from politics then the politicians should also not call them for political help," he said, adding that the policy of the army not interfering in politics should be maintained.

Last week, Punjab CM and Moonis made claims that the former army chief asked them to back Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) when the no-confidence motion was moved against then-prime minister Imran Khan.

On Thursday, Moonis revealed that former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa had advised them to back PTI when the no-confidence motion was moved against former prime minister Imran Khan.

Moonis, during an interview with a private TV channel, said that both Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) had made offers to them, however, Gen (retd) Bajwa asked them to support the Imran Khan-led party.

Three days after his son's statement, CM Elahi endorsed the claim and said: “God changed our path at the last moment when they were heading towards PML-N and sent Gen (retd) Bajwa to show us the way.”

He maintained that Gen (retd) Bajwa advised them that the path towards the Khan-led party is better for them.

Elahi said that he received offers from both camps — PTI and PDM — but in line with the advice of the former army chief, his party preferred to choose Khan.

The chief minister maintained that his son Moonis had also suggested to side with the PTI.