Nonetheless the departure of a man who was once in the running for the prime ministerial race inflicts damage on the PPP. The timing appears to have been designed to ensure this is the case, coming amidst mounting talk of political change well before the next election is scheduled in early 2013. Mehmood has as yet made no mention of what course of action he intends to take as far as his political future goes — but it is beginning to seem likely that he may end up with the PTI — a party that leaders from other groups are also said to be looking towards, as its star rises higher and higher in a sky where it had once been virtually invisible. Certainly, the PTI appears to be on the hunt for those who can win seats, and Mehmood certainly ranks among these players.
The PPP needs also to consider its own position. The information minister and other senior party members have lashed out harshly against Mehmood. What they say may not be entirely inaccurate. But it is also true that the former minister’s strongly worded attack on his former party and President Zardari will leave behind injuries that will hurt, especially in the current environment where the PPP is already struggling against charges of corruption and lack of integrity. Mehmood has played on these, and will no doubt continue to do so in the future, as the political turntable continues to swing around in rapid circles.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 16th, 2011.
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The view that is in American papers and the blogs today including the Huffington Post is that a Palace Coup is developing, Qureshi may have been induced to leave the PPP by the Establishment/Armed Forces
You are right this may hurt the PPP. But this also ends any dreams Qureshi may have had of evern becoming the Prime Minister. In 2008, he was one of the front-runners for the position. With this move, both PPP and Qureshi will be losers in the long term - the gainer will be Imran Khan if Qureshi choses to join PTI.
The PPP needs to rethink its strategy for handling people who leave its ranks. Shah Mehmood Qureshi is the same person who was representing Pakistan, the current government, and the people of Pakistan in a reasonable manner on foreign trips in the recent past. Yes, he may have made some mistakes as a minister but as humans, we are all culpable. It is in bad taste for the PPP to now malign him publically through its no-good (loud)speaker/Information Minister Firdous Awan. By calling him an opportunist and leveling personal attacks against him, the PPP is stooping to a new low. If my memory serves me correctly, Hussain Haqqani also was a Zia/PML-N guy who switched sides and joined PPP. With the same token, he should be called an opportunist too. Is the PPP upset about what Shah Mehmood Qureshi said or what he did? If what he said makes the PPP upset, then the PPP should also explain its policy regarding Zulfiqar Mirza who has uttered more outrageous and libelous statements. If what he did makes the PPP upset, then the PPP is clearly showing what it can do to those who leave the party and its ranks. The PPP in a strange way is warning others, who may be contemplating leaving the PPP, about what to expect when leaving the PPP. It’s a good warning system but I am not sure if it will be an effective one. Zardari, Gilani, and whoever the players may be within the PPP need to get together and think of the reasons why people are leaving the PPP. Rather than lashing out at people for leaving the party, the PPP should solve the problems that are making people leave the party. Time for some deep thinking, spring cleaning, and self-realization for the PPP. As for Shah Mehmood Qureshi, good luck and best wishes for his future.