Criticizing Shah Mahmood Qureshi for quitting the Pakistan People’s Party, former Information minister and PPP Central Information Secretary Qamar Zaman Kaira has said that Mr Qureshi resigned for not getting portfolio in the federal cabinet of his choice.
Addressing a news conference along with Textile Minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin on Tuesday, he said that those, who left the PPP during Zuflikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto eras, had levelled the same allegations which Mr Qureshi was now hurling against the party leadership. He said that Shah Mahmood Qureshi wanted to continue as Foreign Affairs minister but voiced against the government when he was not given portfolio of his choice.
Kaira said that Shah Mehmood Qureshi had got recognition and respect because of the party. He expressed confidence that the PPP would continue working for democracy. He said that it was right of every leader within the party to have difference of opinion as the “PPP leadership has promoted the culture of tolerance and the difference of opinion is always accepted within the party.” He said that the PPP was following the vision of Benazir Bhutto with full devotion under the guidance of President Asif Ali Zardari.
To a question, Kaira said that there was no grouping within the party and Qureshi was fighting for his own survival. To another question, he said that Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Dr Zulfiqar Mirza were two separate issues. He said that the people of South Punjab were not happy with Mr Qureshi and the PPP was the most active party in that area.
Mr Kaira,
You are not telling us the whole truth.
It would have been reasonable for Mr Qureshi to continue as Foreign Minister in the wake of a cabinet reshuffle. This was especially true in the circumstances leading up to this reshuffle.
There was pressure from abroad to grant diplomatic immunity to Raymond Davis. There were individuals in key position in the cabinet who were willing to go as far as to take upon themselves to make retrospective amendments in the sensitive documents to grant him the status that would have given him the immunity that he needed
Shah Mahmood Qureshi annoyed one man by refusing what was desired of him. US foreign secretary snubbed the foreign minister of Pakistan by refusing to meet him in a prescheduled meeting in Rome.
SMQ left his old association and finally left those political affiliations. He did right and we respect him for that.
Having said what I wanted to say, may I ask you what a decent man like you doing working with these unsavoury characters?
Many thanks
Regards
MA
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