Moonis studied at the Lahore American School up to 11th grade and later moved to the UK to study at TASIS England American School in Surrey.[5][6] Later, he attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated with a BBA degree in 1999.[4] After completing his education, he returned to Pakistan and joined his family business.[4]
In 2008, Moonis ran for the Provincial Assembly of Punjab for the first time as a candidate of the PML (Q) from two constituencies—PP-152 in Lahore and PP-110 in Gujrat—in the 2008 Pakistani general election.[4] He won the Gujrat constituency against Chaudhry Nasir Samma, a candidate of the Pakistan People's Party, but was unsuccessful in the Lahore constituency.[4][8]
In 2010, Moonis was implicated in the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) scandal involving Rs 320 million for allegedly involving in real estate deals of NICL land.[9][10] He initially faced legal challenges for not appearing before the investigation committee and was subsequently detained in March 2011.[9][11] However, he was acquitted in October 2011 due to lack of conclusive evidence, and by 2012, all related charges were dismissed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.[12][13] In 2020, an accountability court acquitted all involved in the NICL scandal, observing that the prosecution had failed to bring on record any evidence.[14][15]
In 2013, Moonis ran for the Provincial Assembly of Punjab as a candidate of PML (Q) from two constituencies—Mandi Bahauddin and Gujrat—in the 2013 Pakistani general election and was successful in both.[16][3] He vacated the Mandi Bahauddin seat to retain his native seat in Gujrat.[16][3]
In 2016, Moonis was named in the Panama Papers.[17][18] In 2017, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) initiated a new investigation into Moonis Elahi's wealth; however, in January 2021, the NAB informed the Lahore High Court that the pending inquiries against him and his family members had been closed due to a lack of evidence.[19][20]
In 2018, Moonis was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan as a candidate of PML-Q from Constituency NA-69 (Gujrat-II) in by-election held on 14 October.[21][22] Subsequently, PML (Q) joined the PTI-led coalition after reaching an agreement.[23] By 2019, tensions arose due to delays in fulfilling the terms of coalition agreement.[24] In an effort to address these issues, Moonis became involved and met with then-Prime Minister Imran Khan, who sought PML-Q's continued support for Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and resolved the issue.[25][26]
In March 2024, the Lahore High Court (LHC) permitted Moonis Elahi to participate in the by-elections.[31] This decision followed an earlier ruling by an appellate tribunal of the Lahore High Court, which had denied the nomination papers of PTI leaders for the general elections.[32] He lost the election of PP-158 Lahore-XIV to a PML-N candidate.[33]
Moonis is the founder of PML Build Kalabagh Dam Movement and advocates for the development of Kalabagh Dam.[34][35][36]
Personal life
Moonis Elahi is married to Tehreem Elahi and they have four children together.[6]
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