Qureshi will join, says PTI
While Shah Mehmood Qureshi continues to be cryptic about his political future, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) Sindh leadership says the former foreign minister’s joining the PTI is a ‘done deal’.
Party chief Imran Khan and senior leaders will attend Qureshi’s rally in Ghotki on November 27, where the ex-Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader will formally announce that he is joining the PTI, the party’s Sindh chapter president Naeemul Haque said.
Haque said Khan had confirmed Qureshi would join the PTI, and does not foresee any personality clash between the two leaders.
Qureshi has also invited other unsatisfied PPP members to join his Ghotki rally. So far Ghinwa Bhutto, Mumtaz Bhutto and Nabeel Gabol have agreed to attend but PPP veterans Naheed Khan and Safdar Abbasi declined to participate. Qureshi has also invited Talal Bugti to attend his rally.
Building an electoral base
PTI expects that Qureshi, who it says has considerable support in upper Sindh, will be able to bring potential parliamentary candidates on board.
But even without Qureshi, PTI claims that it has been flooded by new entrants. Haque named Iftikhar Soomro, Adnan Kehan, Sardar Sharif Khan Buledi, Mir Zulfiqar Khan Bijrani and Bakht Janal Chandio as examples.
The party has also been in touch with nationalist parties as well as the Jamaat-e-Islami and Sunni Tehreek, but all alliance proposals are off the agenda for now. “The PTI is growing and we want to fully realise the potential,” Haque said.
PTI's spokesperson in Sindh Dawa Khan Sabir says that if the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were to give up its “politics of fear”, the PTI would be open to working with them. “The party we have the most in common with is the MQM – our base is also middle class, young voters.”
Karachi rally
On the heels of a successful rally in Lahore, the PTI is planning a similar one in Karachi on December 25 near the Mazar-e-Quaid. The party’s goal is to bring out a whopping 200,000 people.
Party officials told The Express Tribune that the December 25 rally’s theme will be ‘National Unity’ as Khan wants everyone to participate, above ethnic divides.
The party says it has understood its strengths and shortcomings after organising the sit-in and the Lahore rally and will use its experience in managing events to make the Karachi rally a success.
PTI has also set up a screening committee to vet nominees for national and provincial assembly seats to ensure there are “no corrupt candidates”. Haque also denied that the army or the Inter-Services Intelligence was supporting the PTI – “We have absolutely no contact with them.”
Karachi to South Punjab
Meanwhile, the Presidency, it is alleged, is also trying to cut off a pro-Qureshi forward bloc in the Punjab Assembly at its head by promising to release development funds to potential dissidents as soon as possible, blaming the prime minister’s son Abdul Qadir Gilani for the delay.
While some forward bloc members may resign their seats after Qureshi’s November 27 rally, in the interim the PPP leadership is doing its best to coerce them into staying.
Already, one member of the forward bloc, Malik Muhammad Abbas Raan says that he will never leave the PPP. (WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM OWAIS RAZA IN MULTAN)
Published in The Express Tribune, November 16th, 2011.
COMMENTS (41)
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Congrat'z , To ALL SMQ WILL JOIN PTI . . . !!
Well the PTI is organising it's jalsa in Karachi way too late.25th December is way too late.After knowing this,it's absolutely clear to me that nobody in Pakistan is in a hurry to dislodge this government,not even Imran Khan.Now that is very vey bad and this way this government won't be dislodged.They will stll be trying to dislodge this government and election time will already be there.This is exactly what is going to happen this time around.Sorry to say.
I trusted captian in 1992 as teenager he got me world cup.now i give him chance again and today if even Zardari and Nawaz join him i will vote them both on PTI ticket.
if SMQ can leave ppp 4 his interests than he can blackmail imran too. everyone knows that he wanted 2 be the PM . but was made FM. we need new faces. these old feudal lot z smart at playing games. they r opportunist, just want power. thats their main goal. once elected, they will never let imran 2 bring a change in years old system. about mimtaz and ghinwa bhutto, the less said the better it is
Stooges led by a lion are no more a stooge;till the time Imran khan is leader;it doesnt matter who is joining;;;Love u Imran Khan
shah mahmood will join PTI because He always work for PPP.. and for make bilawal Next P.M he work for PTI so that they all take votes and make govt also in Punjab .PTI is a play card which we can easily see now...
@Sharjeel: The important thing is to have a good agenda an objective. Where is the grand plan? Where are the Structural Reforms without which there is no way you can change the status quo. Must introduce land ceiling max 100 acres.Excess must be distributed among the landless poor. On the this plank he will offend the land lords but will sweep the polls.
Wow. Imran Khan was the biggest critic of the MQM. He was the only leader in Pakistan that had called them fascists. Now his party says we are able to work with them? Talk about double standards.....
The news is that still not confirmed. I think PTI did politically mistake by disclosing it.
Haan haan Qureshi will join you. Now relax!
How sad people are we...
We want new leaders. When new leaders are here, we do not support them unless we know the faces in their team. When the leader gets such faces which we know, we get disappointed and want leaders without such faces.
Deadlock alert!
Political change Sounds good for a democratic country it's important. How well prepared is PTI for creating it.
Qureshi sahib, Is Talal Bugti the same guy who was caught on Afghan border smuggling weopons to arm an army. What kind of standards are you setting for your future? You should be very careful who rubs shoulders with you as there will be no one to blame now
Although I am big supporter of IK, but here Imran has acted unwisely in announcing Mr. Qureshi's future plans. Come November 27th and Mr. Qureshi announces some other plans, its going to be quite an embarrassment for IK who should have acted more maturely and waited a few days.
Change is coming but we dont need feudal lords anymore. Way to go PTI
Sincere people like Mr.Qureshi and Dr.Israr who are clean hands,not smeared with blood of poor people of Pakistan and the corruption through which national wealth and sources are being looted. come forward and enter the party.It is my heartfelt advise based on request.
I have read a few comments,some people are concerned with IK accepting Qureshi.First and foremost,there are no corruption cases against Qureshi.Secondly, guys if IK trusts him then why cant we?Remember Imran Khan is most likely the FIRST person that wants to see change in Pakistan.He has dedicated his life to this cause,I am sure he would play his cards and accept people very carefully. I trust Imran Khan, and will vote for PTI no matter what. Remember guys, leaders don't necessarily make decisions that are popular amongst the majority, they make decisions that are the most beneficial!
may I also add they all belong to 'middle class' as per criteria of PTI spokesman
If Qureshi is joining PTI then why is Imran sounding so desperate??
Qureshi, Mumtaz Bhutto, Ghanwa more YOUNG, NEW, Revolutionaries joining PTI ranks haha
I sincerely hope Rehman Malik also joins the PTI. He has experience which PTI is sadly lacking.
Imran you are blaming someone when you say "politics of fear". This is the most unpolitical statement to make. Something which at best can be a POV, an opinion or fear in itself that can never be proven. Please don't narrow your base but expand it. Broaden your appeal. You are appealing to the vaderas - they all are confirmed users of fear and terror. You don't have to prove this. You are not putting conditions there. Although you should put a condition that they should give up their excess land over say 100 acres and distribute among landless poor. This will be the Structural Change the people of Pakistan would want.
i love man......u can make a change....so i think MR.QURESHI will feel honoured to join u
Qureshi Saab was one of the main stumbling bloc in creating good atmosphere between India and Pakistan and considered close with the establishment. When he was shown the door from foreign office and Hina Rabbani Khar made foreign minister, he lost interest in PPP. Imran is flamboyant and forward looking man. His party is still in formation mode. Moreover, Imran will be the boss of his party as he doesn't consider anyone at par with him whether it is Pakistani Cricket Team or PTI. Under his command, Pakistani Cricket Team was a great performer. Under his leadership, and thanks to poor performance of his political opponents, he has turned the fortunes of his political outfit, i.e. PTI. It will be interesting to see how Mr Qureshi acknowledges superiority of Imran when he joins PTI, because Qureshi did not consider others at par with him too.
He will win maximum party change award in parliament.
Look, if you had one shot, one opportunity To CHANGE everything you ever wanted, one moment Would you capture it, or just let it slip? Yo
You better lose yourself in the flow, the moment You want it, you better never let it go You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow This opportunity comes once in a lifetime. PTI anthem
Unless you are prepared to give up something valuable you will never be able to truly change at all, because you'll be forever in the control of things you can't give up. also Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.
@Mohammad Ali Siddiqui: JI is waiting for Qurashi in the next decade, good progress.
Certainly, Imran Khan seems to be a wind of change in Pakistan. But, Pakistanis should not expect too much from his party. Changing the system will not be easy for Imran. he will need masses' support and patience.
Stop posting so much about Imran Khan so that I can stop commenting and start studying.
now thses landlords, feudals and opportunists will join PTI 4 their gain. if qureshi can change his loyalties 4m one party 2 another since 80's, then whts the gurantee that he will not ditch imran. mumtaz, ghinwa bhutto presence in the jalsa will not matter. go and see the condition of poor serfs working on their lands. ppl have always rejected them in every election. really , dissappointed by imran's choice.
Don't we already know it?
I wish people like Aitzaz Ahsan, Safdar Abbasi, Zulfiqar Mirza, Aasma Jahangir and join PTI too.
I should rejoice that an electable, winning candidate will be joining PTI (my passion for the last 15 years), but I must cry that another feudal will be joining PTI that essentially targets the big revolution through urbanized, educated middle class & not by these feudal landlords.
so the feudals are going to bring the revolution which PTI has been talking about ?
A sign of a Great change in Pakistan, Specially for those poor peoples who are the victims of cruel Leaders...
Great news for Imran Khan and PTI, Slowly by Slowly PPP members will move towards Imran Khan, Because they know that the change is coming...
Imran is right in saying that Qureshi will joining PTI.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi was in PML(N) and then switched over to PPP.
The next move of Qureshi is to join PTI.
Wow ! That is a great news. Welcome Qureshi sir into PTI. And, Karachi Jalsa will be huge for sure !