Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said on Sunday that former army chief General (retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa had countless favours on PTI Chairperson Imran Khan, adding that the former chief was their “benefactor” and nothing should be said against benefactors.

“Genral Bajwa has many favours on him [Imran Khan], therefore the favours should not be forgotten,” the CM Punjab said in a statement, adding that if anything further would be said against the former army chief the PML-Q would be the first one to counter any propaganda against him.

His statement comes after the PTI chief a day earlier while addressing party workers via video link with chief ministers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab at his side criticised General (retired) Bajwa, saying the recently-retired army chief was responsible for his ouster as premier as part of an external conspiracy.

Elahi said that the former army chief “elevated the party’s stature from nothing and supported the government on many international matters such as negotiating procurement of funds from Pakistan’s Arab allies or the International Monetary Fund,”

Speaking about Imran Khan’s friend, former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief General (retired) Faiz Hameed, CM Elahi claimed that the former ISI chief had abused his party. “He {Faiz Hameed] tried to send us to jail and he was against us,” the chief minister added.

“We are not opponents of Imran Khan and PTI, but we cannot forget our benefactors,” the chief minister Punjab clarified.

Elahi said that he told the then army chief Gen (retd) Bajwa about Faiz Hameed’s intentions, but Hameed told the former army chief that Imran Khan was behind the move.

“Imran Khan did not allow Munis Elahi to sit with him during the meeting, despite this, we fully supported Imran Khan.”

He said that PML-Q endorses Imran Khan’s decision regarding the dissolution of the Punjab assembly.

Imran Khan in his yesterday address announced that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab assemblies would be dissolved on Friday, December 23. The PTI chief said that the country was on the brink of default and that early elections were the only situation to save the country’s economy.

Pervez Elahi said that he had told the PTI chief the dissolving the assemblies would damage his party, adding that the “establishment” also wanted the assemblies to complete their tenure.

“Establishment is more sensible than politicians,” the chief minister said adding that the majority of the PTI members were not in favour of dissolving the assemblies.