Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi - 1970s

1970s

Chaudhry Zahur Elahi continued to gain popularity in the political scene and was elected to the National Assembly in 1970. He was among the few members of the Pakistan Muslim League to get elected. East Pakistan was seceded in 1971 following emergence of Mr. Z. A Bhutto in politics. On his coming to power, Z.A. Bhutto nationalized a number of industries including flour mills. Chaudhry Zahur Elahi was among the nine opposition parliamentary leaders who were thrown out of the Parliament House by the Bhutto regime. During the Bhutto regime, Chaudry Zahur Elahi was politically harassed on a number of incidents such as the alleged buffalo theft case and the so-called Iraqi arms for Balochistan case. He was involved in several fabricated cases, one of which was delivering an anti-government speech in Pearl Continental, Karachi.In some of the cases Mr.Shaukat Goraya helped Mr.Zahur Elahi. A special tribunal sentenced him to imprisonment for five years. He remained imprisoned in different jails but s erved mostly in the Karachi jail. Bhutto also planned to assassinate Chaudhry Zahur Elahi, and had in fact, given orders to the then Balochistan Governor Akbar Bugti to eliminate Chaudry Zahur Elahi. Akbar Bugti refused the orders. Pakistan National Alliance gained momentum following the 1977 rigged elections, when General Zia-ul-Haq seized power and announced to hold fresh elections.

Chaudhry Zahur Elahi was released from jail and he launched his election campaign from Gujrat and Constituency No.3 of Lahore against Bhutto. However, these elections were postponed. Due to the deteriorating financial situation of the nationalized industries, the Zia regime decided to return these industries to their original owners. The Chaudhry family took charge of their flourmills with a new determination.