The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has suffered a severe blow after former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi jumped onto Imran Khan’s bandwagon instead of honouring Nawaz Sharif’s invitation.
Both the PML-N and the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) had been inviting Qureshi to their parties for several months. Nawaz was seriously attempting to woo Qureshi to join his party, while Imran had announced earlier that Qureshi would join him on November 27. The former foreign minister kept the suspense alive until Sunday, when he embraced Imran Khan at an impressive public meeting in Ghotki. Qureshi, who holds strong political influence in south Punjab, has minimised the PML-N’s prospects in the region.
Qureshi’s decision must have disappointed Nawaz, who had been quite optimistic that the former Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) stalwart would join him. A senior PML-N leader said the Sharifs did not have anything substantial to offer Qureshi. “Qureshi often hinted at his demands, but was not responded to well. Hence he joined the PTI for a better political future,” he said. According to a close aide to Qureshi, the former minister initially had no plans to join the PTI as he was contemplating two other options – forming his own party or joining the PML-N. Sources privy to the developments called it a “half victory”. Reacting to Qureshi’s decision, PML-N Information Secretary Mashahidullah Khan said his party happily accepted Qureshi’s decision and wished him the best of luck. “Shah Mehmood Qureshi is a political worker and a civilised person and with his joining the PTI, it is believed that Imran Khan and his party members would learn how to behave as a political party,” he added.
Qureshi joining PTI a serious blow to PML-N
