Elections in Sindh: Will contest on PTI ticket, Shah Mahmood Qureshi

PTI chief Imran Khan says the decision to contest elections as an independent would be Qureshi's.


Web Desk/APP/zahid Gishkori April 06, 2013
Qureshi has a vote bank in Sindh. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: With rumours abound that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi would contest the upcoming elections as an independent, the party's vice chairman ruled out any such possibility.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Qureshi said that he was “working with Imran Khan and will contest elections on PTI tickets.”

“I cannot even think of contesting elections independently.”

Qureshi, who met with Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) chief Sibghatullah Shah Rashidi (Pir Pagara) in Karachi on Saturday, said whatever he was doing was after consultation with PTI chairman Imran Khan.

Pir Pagara and Qureshi had discussed the political situation and matters related to the general election in the country during their meeting at Raja house.

During a joint press conference, Qureshi toed the party line saying the next election was a competition between what he termed the `opportunist politicians' and those who really wanted to serve the nation.

Independent or not, SMQ is PTI: Imran

Speaking to the media after arriving in Karachi on Saturday afternoon, PTI chairman Imran Khan said that whether his party’s vice chairman contested independently or from a PTI ticket, the seat, if won, would be PTI’s.

“If SMQ contests on a ticket or independently the seat will still be PTI's.”

Imran explained that the party wanted a breakthrough in Sindh beyond the candidates that would be contesting elections in the province. “We wanted a breakthrough in Sindh and Shah Mahmood Qureshi has vote bank in a constituency in Sindh.”

“On two seats there was a peculiar situation - even if he contests as an independent on that seat, he is the vice president of the PTI, so that seat would be PTI's.”

Imran said that the decision on whether to contest for the seat as an independent or on a party ticket had been left to Qureshi. “We have left the decision on those two seats on Qureshi. “That area, its significance, and if you do not do local adjustment, you know what the situation is there in Tharparkar.”

The PTI chief though ruled out that his party was entering into any alliance with any party in Sindh.

“We do not have any alliance in Sindh, I want to clear that we do not have any alliance with any party, we do not want to take on their burden.”

COMMENTS (22)

sameer | 11 years ago | Reply

big slap on n league media center

NICOPer | 11 years ago | Reply

If Shah Mahmood Qureshi decides to run as an independent, irrelevant of the jurisdiction, it will be a major strategic blunder as it will diminish public credibility of the party and more questions will be raised inside the party. I would enforce Qureshi to run as a PTI member or leave the party, which Khan cannot afford.

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