ISLAMABAD (Staff Report) – While there have been media reports of growing differences between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) high ranks since the party lost by-elections in NA-122 and NA-144, sources have claimed that Shah Mehmood Qureshi is seriously considering to party his ways with PTI.
Qureshi has confined himself to regional politics of Multan and is weighing his options before departing PTI, said sources.
However Shah Mehmmod Qureshi straightly rejected all such rumors saying that PTI and Naya Pakistan has been his life’s passion. But the sources close to PTI’s inner circle have confirmed the grave difference between Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi further adding Qureshi is not even taking the phone calls of PTI chairman.
Both leaders also avoided each other during the recent visit of Shah Mehmood Qureshi to Chairman’s Secretariat in Lahore, after the defeat in NA-122 and NA-144 by-polls.
Following the humiliating defeat in NA-144 Okara by-poll Qureshi has been receiving criticism from central leadership because he was the sole supporter of Ashraf Sohna, who left PPP to join PTI recently, to be awarded ticket for the by-poll.
PTI chairman Imran Khan has also constituted a committee that will submit a report on the bad performance of party lawmakers during the recent by-polls.
According to sources it seems Chaudhry Sarwar – the former Punjab governor who left the ruling party to join PTI in February this year – has stolen the limelight from PTI deputy chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
While Mr Sarwar remained campaigning door-to-door for the highly-publicised NA-122 by-poll, Shah Mehmmod Qureshi even missed the October 4 rally in Lahore where PTI showed political muscles as part of electioneering in NA-122.
Shah Mehmood was also unhappy on the addition of Ch Sarwar in PTI, the sources told Daily Pakistan. He was reported to be highly concerned when Imran Khan appointed the former governor as the Organiser of party’s Punjab chapter. Qureshi had categorically opposed the appointment of Sarwar at any key post in the party.
Another source believed the role of Qureshi has been confined to the matters related to southern Punjab only, while Chaudhry Sarwar oversees the party matters in central Punjab.
In a recent interview, PTI chairman Imran Khan also confirmed that his party has divided the electoral campaign for upcoming Local Bodies elections in different parts of the country. Shah Mehmood has been tasked to lead electioneering in southern Punjab and interior Sindh.
Mr Qureshi has been a prominent political figure of Pakistan during last decades. He served as Foreign minister during the last PPP government led by Yousuf Raza Gilani. Qureshi was also the candidate of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to run for Prime Minister’s office in 2002.
