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'Imran Khan following in Bhutto's footsteps,' says Shah Mahmood Qureshi

Published: December 7, 2011

Qureshi says Zardari has completely left the Pakistan Peoples Party leader’s vision behind. PHOTO: SHAHID SAEED

MULTAN: Newly-appointed vice chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI), Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that Imran Khan is following in the footsteps of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Qureshi said that President Asif Ali Zardari had completely abandoned Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and its founding leader’s vision.

Talking to media in Multan, when 12 local PPP leaders formally joined the PTI, Qureshi said that Zardari has never followed Bhutto because “he likes to follow the ideology and instructions coming from Washington.”

“It is Imran Khan who is following Bhutto’s ideology, to support the people as real power lies with the people,” the vice chairman said, adding “It is the power of the people which empowers us.”

Defending the Supreme Court decisions on the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) and the memogate issue, Qureshi said that the PTI would defend the judiciary and its decisions.

While expressing his fears, Qureshi said that he senses a government attack on the judiciary and the Supreme Court.

Gilani ‘buying’ support for his son

Qureshi also criticised Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and said that he [Gilani] has been pressurising major political figures including Nazims and their allies, to support his son.

“They are purchasing major political figures and wasting money belonging to the people of Pakistan on a campaign to win elections in NA148,” Qureshi accused.

PTI Karachi rally

Talking about the PTI rally scheduled on December 25, the vice chairman said his party will prove the power of people in Karachi.

He also said that he will reveal the threats faced by Pakistan’s atomic program under Zardari’s regime during the Karachi rally.

“It’s not false and people of Pakistan will come to know about it on that day [December 25],” Qureshi confirmed, before adding that “President Zardari is a threat to Pakistan’s sovereignty.”

Qureshi assured that the PTI had support from the interior Sindh and that it can be witnessed during the Karachi rally.

Reader Comments (60)

  • Peace
    Dec 7, 2011 - 11:06PM

    Let us hope Imran provide the leadership Pakistan needs. It is only sincere leadership that can take us out of troubled waters and move to better future by utilizing rich resources available in the country. Breaking the begging bowl is a must.

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  • biryani
    Dec 7, 2011 - 11:07PM

    you mean British loyalty steps?

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  • Anti-Truth
    Dec 7, 2011 - 11:08PM

    lols…
    he always make jokes.
    first he tried to be a bhutto himself and obviously faild.
    now he can see bhutto in imran khan.
    ….Recommend

  • R.A
    Dec 7, 2011 - 11:09PM

    Please Qureshi Sb can you ask
    your chairman to explain how far he
    goes along with Z.A.Bhutto policies
    or it is just a lollipop fo votes.
    Recommend

  • Dec 7, 2011 - 11:16PM

    A turncoat brings more and more turncoats. Hope he will become the chairman of PTI one day, Inshallah.Recommend

  • saeed
    Dec 7, 2011 - 11:21PM

    Regardless of Following Bhutto or not following Bhutto…..What we know is that he is the man with the vision for this nation…..he is the man with the courage…he is the man with the dedication..he is the man full of patriotism…he is the man who knows the pain of the poor of Pakistan…he is the man who gave us the state of the art cancer hospital and college without government funding which not a single government in Pakistan have managed in 64 years..he is the man who sacrificed his personal life only for the sake of Pakistan…Now I dont know if Bhutto had these things or not….but what I know is that I was not able to see Quaid e Azam but I am very happy to see a leader like Imran khan in my life..

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  • Mohammad Ali Siddiqui
    Dec 7, 2011 - 11:29PM

    Shah Mahmood Qureshi Sahib:

    Why re you bent upon saying that “Imran Khan following in Bhutto’s footsteps”?

    Bhutto in 1971 said “Idhar Hum, Udhar Tum” and then Bangladesh was created on the world map.

    Do you think that Imran Khan is going to break the rest of the Pakistan?

    I do not think so.

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  • Shayan
    Dec 7, 2011 - 11:50PM

    @ Maryam I am sure Abu Lahab considered the early Sahabas as turncoats as well.

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  • You Said It
    Dec 7, 2011 - 11:57PM

    Hmm… then Imran Khan will alienate half the country and cause its division?

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  • Pro Bono Publico
    Dec 8, 2011 - 12:11AM

    @saeed:
    ZA Bhutto, co-founder of Bangladesh, along with Gen. Yahya Khan.Recommend

  • Muddassir
    Dec 8, 2011 - 12:14AM

    @Maryam and others who thought that SMQ will influence IK…

    Pls watch Off the Record aired on Dec 6. Just watch for the last 2-3 minutes where IK asked SMQ to stop being diplomatic and say the truth and what is in his heart. See that’s how to you change/guide people. Just wait and see the true leadership ok IK.

    For all who do not like/believe in IK/PTI, pls seriously advise if we have another alternative. I hope we are not that idiot to vote someone third or even fourth time and then except a change from them.

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  • toor khan
    Dec 8, 2011 - 12:17AM

    IMRAN KHAN ZINDA BAD

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  • Babar
    Dec 8, 2011 - 12:17AM

    Please dont follow his footsteps either…

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  • Pakistani
    Dec 8, 2011 - 12:28AM

    Bhutto’s footsteps?

    So should we expect another partition?

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  • A Pakistani being realistic
    Dec 8, 2011 - 12:29AM

    Please dont compare him with Bhutoo please, Bhutoo usurped the rights of the East Pakistani of power. Great leaders are accomodative, i always say even if Bhutto gave Pakistan nuclear capability u can never absolve him from his lack of political acumen he diplyed in the 1971 crises. He in 1965 knew that we lost the war but rallied the peopl around him againt Ayub, on blaming him for giving away all that we lost. Please dont compare new leaders with Bhutto as they surely have learned from the follies of the past and know that for nations to be great all elements of national power need to be strong, not just nuclear, as nuclear could not save the Soviets. the new leaders will surely concentrate on the economy, culture, and Psychological elements on the nation equally.

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  • Pakistani
    Dec 8, 2011 - 12:29AM

    @Maryam:
    I wonder what imran did to you that makes you hate him so much. Inshallah your ignorance is removed one day.

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  • Mirza
    Dec 8, 2011 - 12:37AM

    @saeed:
    You say “Regardless of Following Bhutto or not following Bhutto”
    Does that mean you are not sure whether Qureshi is lying or not?
    Speaking of IK following claim by Pir Qureshi, has PTI made its menifesto like that of ZAB and PPP or these are empty words to mislead?
    In addition Pir Q, supports the PCO SC and all its decisions. What about the PCO CJ sitting on ZAB’s judicial murder case? Asghar Khan’s case for over two decades in SC? And the list goes on from Kargil, throwing 60 judges and their families in jail, acts of treason by Gen Mush, Abbottabad, and BB’s brutal murder crawling in lower courts while all anti PPP cases start in SC on an emergency basis. Pir Qureshi left PPP, the least he can do is be honest about it or he is keeping his options open to be friends with PPP in future?

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  • Mustansar
    Dec 8, 2011 - 12:41AM

    yes right imran khan like Z.A bhutto we hope imran can change our country specialy nation mind , jo log hum per ye saysi log musalat karte hain jo 30 saal se pakistan ko lout key kha rahe hain ,

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  • Realist. (ORIGINAL)
    Dec 8, 2011 - 12:48AM

    How DARE he to compare the GREAT Z.A Bhutto with IK ?
    Z.A was not a FLOP man like IK is.
    Bhutto understood Politics more than Any leader in Pakistan since its inception!
    Bhutto was not CONFUSED like IK He KNEW what he wanted to do!
    Comparing a Political Genius with a confused philanthropist-cum-Politician. What a diss!

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  • Realist. (ORIGINAL)
    Dec 8, 2011 - 12:50AM

    @saeed:
    Explain me the VISION of Imran Khan. Please! :)
    & yeah don’t write elimination of corruption in your answer! Sorry thats not vision!

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  • jane
    Dec 8, 2011 - 12:53AM

    Imran is following in footsteps of ZAB ? Mercy upon all of us whether Pakistani, Indian, Muslim, or non-M !! That so-called Great Leader ZAB is mainly responsible for raising temperatures to burden all of south asia with not just one but TWO, TOTALLY unnecessary wars – one in 1965 as FM and the other in 1971 as PM and is single-handedly responsible for the un-called-for DISMEMBERING of the eastern half of the Nation.of the Pure.

    The LAST thing Pakistan and indeed all of South Asia needs is another ZAB ! Zardari-saheb is exempted from that category ironically because he is a Zardari and not a “B” and you can see he wasnt v happy with his wife (BB) , and he is comparatively a rational person and not a hot-headed rabble-rousing crowd-pleaser as were both ZAB and sadly BB too !!
    NO PLEASE – not another ZAB !!Recommend

  • omar
    Dec 8, 2011 - 1:26AM

    I would say Imran Khan is following in the footsteps of our great father, Quaid e Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah!!
    Not Bhutto

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  • Dec 8, 2011 - 1:27AM

    Imran Khan has done the biggest blunder by including this turncoat in PTI, he will soon repent.

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  • Imran Khan Abbasi
    Dec 8, 2011 - 1:42AM

    Mr shah we don need bhutto’s ideolody which didnt exist at all bhuttoism is rather some mental state which intimidates to loot and plunder the resources of the country and its breakage. Plz don confuse PTI’s manifesto with this old fashioned orthodox slogans.This is the time to do justice with yourself with ourselves and with otherz.MASSIVE PAKISTAN!!!

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  • Dec 8, 2011 - 1:46AM

    @Shayan: I am sure you know what Imran Khan’s character was before coming to politics?

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  • Alaf Khan
    Dec 8, 2011 - 2:08AM

    “Whosoever gets into a salt mine, becomes a heap of salt himself”
    (har ke dar kaan-e namak raft, namak khwahad shud)

    “A man is known by the company he keeps”

    3.. [THIS WORLD} MINUS { LIES } = PARADISE

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  • waqar
    Dec 8, 2011 - 2:15AM

    please dot compare Bhutto with Imran Khan…. Imran Khan’s ideology and vision is far superior than that of Bhutto’s.

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  • Mirza
    Dec 8, 2011 - 2:51AM

    @jane: You wrote about ZAB ” in 1971 as PM”
    Please stop spreading false info just for the sake of mouthing off. ZAB never was never a PM in 1971. In fact he had no position in Pakistani govt at all. At that time Gen Yehya was chief martial law administrator and had many army generals in the cabinet like Gen Sher Ali to bring Islamic system of govt. It was only after the atrocities of the army and abject surrender did the army gave up the power to ZAB under martial law not PM.
    According to army apologists ZAB was responsible for the surrender of E. Pakistan and now Zardari and HH for the presence of OBL in army base! NS was responsible for the debacle at Kargil not Mush. And the list of lies goes on and on.

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  • alicia
    Dec 8, 2011 - 3:53AM

    Is Imran khan going to be hanged by a general on a false murder case?

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  • saleem
    Dec 8, 2011 - 4:10AM

    he seems to b nice n obedient vice captain.. nice to see two highly educated leaders in the front seat of pakistani political party , smelling change really. Oxford n cambridge’s students r gonna do something which these looters never did for pakistan… people of pakistan just think is there any party who got better leadership than pti the 2 front seats occupied b so highly qualified and honest ppl … thats great and imran is following ussua e hassana not bhutto as he often mentions .. Allah help him and hum pe pti ki govt naazil krdy .. aaameeen

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  • Ch Allah Daad
    Dec 8, 2011 - 4:30AM

    Its upto Imran whether he follows Bhutto’s footsteps or not. Please assure us, you (SMQ) will not follow Bhutto’s collegues footsteps who left him when he needed them most.

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  • Yasir mehmood
    Dec 8, 2011 - 4:31AM

    he is following footsteps of hamid gul

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  • amjad cheema
    Dec 8, 2011 - 5:18AM

    He is only following aabpara industry.

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  • Andrew
    Dec 8, 2011 - 5:38AM

    This guy is no good to PTI. He keeps talking about bhutto! The sad state is cant any leader think independantly without dragging bhutto into every political conversation. Bhutto is gone he’s history he’s dead. Lets forget about the past. No one in england knows who founded the labour party or the conservative party. No one cares to know! Why doesn’t this qureshi dude talk about the founder of pakistan muhammad ali jinna or iqbal. I have this bad feeling Mr Qureshi will be dividing the PTI in the coming years and has a vision of becoming the chairman of the party. I won’t be surprised if we saw a PTI Qureshi League in the forseable future. I believe by including qureshi in his party imrans made a big mistake!!

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  • Farrukh siddiqui
    Dec 8, 2011 - 5:42AM

    @ Mohammad Ali Siddiqui

    Please check again.. Z.A.Bhutto never said idhar hum udhar tum… It is old news but probably has not reached you. The editor of the paper which published this, Abbas Athar, admitted later that it was the result of imagination. ZAB had denied it himself. But Bhutto’s opponents including establishment journalists such as Z.A. Suleri carried out this propaganda to malign ZAB. Bhutto was a great nationalist and a man of principles who refused to bow his head and walked to the gallows with great dignity.

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  • Kamal
    Dec 8, 2011 - 5:55AM

    Dont know about Bhutto but I am sure Imran Khan is following in the footsteps of our great Quaid e Azam.

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  • Midas
    Dec 8, 2011 - 8:00AM

    Then he knows his fate….

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  • siddique
    Dec 8, 2011 - 9:38AM

    He is following great allama iqbal and quaid azam.Recommend

  • zeeshan
    Dec 8, 2011 - 12:28PM

    right! but i will go one step further…. m looking Imran to be the graeter leader than Even BHuttoRecommend

  • Noble Tufail
    Dec 8, 2011 - 12:35PM

    Vice chairman ??? of PTI. we were told that there will be a process to move up the ladder.

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  • Amira
    Dec 8, 2011 - 1:21PM

    @the ones comparing Imran Khan to Quaid-e-Azam:
    M. A. Jinnah would turn in his grave if he knew he would be compared to IK! Remember, he was a secularist and he had a vision for Pakistan.Recommend

  • Fuzzy Z
    Dec 8, 2011 - 2:31PM

    Imran is no Bhutto.If Imran had one fourth of his talent,ability and charisma he should feel extremely lucky.

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  • Reece
    Dec 8, 2011 - 3:05PM

    @saeed:
    Man you comments give me goosebumps!

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  • Adeel Ahmed
    Dec 8, 2011 - 3:57PM

    Bhutto Philosophy, which Imran also adnmire in 30 Oct., Jalsa, “Anti-Imperialism and empowerment of poor”.

    Yes every leader should follow this philosophy.

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  • Dec 8, 2011 - 4:24PM

    OK guys Imran Khan is not a prophet so one can criticize and unlike him.

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  • Dec 8, 2011 - 4:26PM

    We need to learn from the past, not repeat it. Let’s grow up – and move on, please!Recommend

  • Kung
    Dec 8, 2011 - 5:48PM

    INSHALLAH PTI will win next elections
    @Maryam, Are u Maryam Nawaz?

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  • Imran is no Quaid-e-Azam
    Dec 8, 2011 - 6:11PM

    All those peole saying Imran is a reincarnation of Quaid and what not please stop. Imran is a great leader (at least better than what we have) but he can never ever reach Quaid’s stature.

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  • Sharjeel
    Dec 8, 2011 - 7:34PM

    why was he silent for the past three years then?Recommend

  • Blithe
    Dec 8, 2011 - 10:01PM

    Did Bhutto also have an illegitimate daughter?

    Aren’t your children your biggest assets?
    Why not full disclosure on that front?

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  • Dec 8, 2011 - 11:07PM

    I do not understand that our first mistake people make mistakes and then apologize, then apologize to the chair when the game will end
    King’s may be a good man but not a leader because the leader does not have a margin of error of a wrong decision that people have bghtna
    And the upper class would not understand that the middle class and lower middle class as we understand
    The decision to stop our qsmtun
    The upper class people like Imran Be

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  • Mustansar
    Dec 9, 2011 - 12:14AM

    Imran is the bset for pakistan ,

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  • kumail
    Dec 9, 2011 - 1:32AM

    please do not compare. Bhutto was a leader at par excellence. He found the PPP in 1967 and just four years later swept elections in this side of Pakistan. Imran Khan has been swaying since 15 years and he even does not have a simple vision for the people like Bhutto came with the ‘roti, kapra, makan’. Whether he gave it or not is another topic.

    What benefit will it make to common people if all politicians reveal their wealth and their tax documents? Imran Khan has failed to bring his vision for poverty alleviation, education and economic development, etc. After 2013 elections or whenever they are held, it would be a great surprise if he takes more than 15 seats..

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  • Ali Abul Hassan
    Dec 9, 2011 - 2:45AM

    By said that “Imran Khan is following in Bhutto’s steps”, I think Mr. Qureshi was trying to attract Bhutto’s followers. I can neither suspect nor want to take that statement into negative way. What I believe that all good leaders should give up doing politics on “Names” rather on Principles, on What is right and What is wrong, and on the name of PAKISTAN.
    Mr. Imran Khan does the same thing and he only talks about Pakistan and its people. Proud to be green.. Thanks Mr. Khan for arousing patriotism among us…!

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  • JaySabir
    Dec 9, 2011 - 4:47PM

    and now Imran Khan being a part of typical pakistani politics by inclusion of such names.Recommend

  • asma@london
    Dec 9, 2011 - 5:29PM

    @Pakistani: Very strange that people fail to or are avoiding to point out that Imran Khan has Reconciled with his principles! He used to say that the politicians have lust for power and will do anything to achieve that. So is he not doing the same by taking in his party politicians, like Shah M Q and making him a senior vice chairman although there are many others who joined Imran Khan in forming the party and contributed to raising PTI to the level it is at now?? Do they not deserve to be at the post that Sha M Q is at?? What did he do for PTI? he came down in a parachute! All he has is a confirmed seat and is locally powerful.!!! No difference Imran Khan, no difference. All he wants is power and people who can get to the National assembly as PTI members!!!!Shame.

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  • Shayan
    Dec 9, 2011 - 7:17PM

    @asma@london: Well a party is formed by the efforts of its workers and by the actions of the leaders. PTI is not like PPP, MQM, PML etc where the workers are motivated by seats in the office but rather love for our beloved Pakistan. I will go on 25 th December to Mazar-e-Quaid not because I have been cajoled into or whether I want a job for my relative but because I want to be proud of when I show my green passport to the immigration officers abroad when I travel.

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  • maha
    Dec 9, 2011 - 9:49PM

    Imran Khan is doing good for Pakistan..

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  • Tamoor
    Dec 9, 2011 - 10:03PM

    SMQ is saying well

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  • Rasheed
    Dec 15, 2011 - 1:15PM

    Sharjeel: imran was not silent in Pakistan for part 3 years. I can’t believe you said that….Are you not aware of Pakistan current events?
    Simple question to you, then what did he do in last 3 years??? On what basis are u saying he was silent?

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