Feudal alert! Shah Mahmood’s coming to woo you

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan arrived in Karachi on Thursday, along with PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, PTI Sindh President Naeemul Haq, and PTI central leaders Jehangir Tareen and Dr Arif Alvi.
Talking to the media at the airport, Khan said his party’s public meeting in the metropolitan would be bigger than the one in Lahore, which would prove to be a milestone in the country’s politics.
He said the people of Karachi would overcome the barriers of linguistic and sectarian politics on December 25, the day of PTI’s public gathering.
“Pakistan’s future is connected with the PTI. The people of the country are looking towards our party for a change,” he added.
He also said the party has decided to hold the public meeting in front of the Quaid-e-Azam’s mausoleum, on the Shahrah-e-Quaideen.

FEUDAL CLASS: Qureshi is expected to meet with waderas and representatives of the elite of Sindh to woo them for bringing them into PTI’s fold.
Some members of the province’s feudal class that are not a part of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) or the Pakistan Muslim Leagues-Nawaz, Functional or Quaid, headed by Sardar Ali Gauhar Maher of Ghotki District, have held meetings with those who are not happy with their parties and are looking for better opportunities.
Some of them were preparing to join the PPP; however, following the memogate affair, they have changed their minds because they are unsure if the present government could survive as they do not want to go aboard a sinking ship.
Another group has been mulling over joining the PTI, but it is uncertain of the possibility of the party’s success in the future because many of the old politicians have been joining the PTI in Punjab.
On the condition of anonymity, some members of the feudal class disclosed to Pakistan Today that they have received calls from “the powers that be” who have asked them to join the PTI and told them that “the party’s future would be decided later.”
However, the feudal class of Sindh has not shown any signs that would suggest that it is prepared to take any sort of risk.
According to sources, people of Sindh who are close to Qureshi have refused to join the PTI, and the only reason they had joined him on stage in Ghotki’s public meeting is because “he is our spiritual leader.”
Those who had participated in the Ghotki meeting are not willing to participate in the Karachi meeting on Sunday.
Sources said neither any major personality from the feudal class of Sindh would be attending PTI’s public meeting in Karachi nor would anyone of them be making any announcements of joining the party.
However, the sources added, if Qureshi were to approach the feudal class for joining the PTI, it would not refuse the proposal outright, but seek time for consultation.
Someone from the inner circle of the feudal class said, “If they aren’t planning on joining the PTI, it does not mean that they are going to be a part of the PPP. They have decided to wait until February 15 to decide their political future.”
The process of the Senate elections is scheduled to start on February 15, which would then decide the fate of President Asif Ali Zardari and the PPP government.
Sources said if the PPP survives, the feudal class might join the Zardari-led party and not the PTI or any other political party.
However, the sources added, if the elections deal the PPP government or Zardari an unfavourable hand, then the feudal class might join the PTI or any other political party.