After registration of corruption case against MNA Ali Musa Gilani, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has launched hectic damage-control efforts, roping in Makhdoomzada Mureed Hussain Qureshi, the younger brother of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who will be joining the PPP ranks soon.
A source in the PPP informed Pakistan Today that Mureed Qureshi was likely to make a formal announcement to rejoin the PPP ranks soon and he had recently held a meeting with President Zardari. “Mureed Qureshi has been informed by the PPP leadership that he would be given an advisory role in the PPP-led federal government. The joining of Mureed Qureshi would also help President Zardari to settle scores with Shah Mahmood and Zardari would have the last laugh,” the source said.
He added that the president had also asked Mureed to use his government office to win political support in the area, where he would be awarded huge development funds to create goodwill for him, and enabling him to fight the next election from the PPP platform against Shah Mahmood Qureshi. This is not the first time that the PPP leaders have roped in members of the Qureshi clan to undermine Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s forward lunge.
In December 2011, then prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had initially succeeded in winning the support of Mureed Qureshi after Shah Mahmood decided to field his son against Ali Musa Gilani in by-polls. Mureed was annoyed with his elder brother for ignoring him and rather fielding his elder son, Zain Qureshi, for the NA-148 by-polls. However, the elder Qureshi had been able to mend fences with his brother who has considerable influence in NA-148 constituency.
For this, PTI chief Imran Khan had to visit Mureed and persuade him to join the PTI. Despite repeated attempts, president’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar and Shah Mahmood Qureshi did not respond to phone calls and text messages. The cell phone of Mureed Qureshi also remained switched off. Shah Mahmood and Mureed are sons of former Punjab governor Makhdoom Sajjad Hussain Qureshi. Other than their political clout, Qureshis are spirtual leaders of the Ghousia Jamaat whose followers are in millions across Sindh and South Punjab. Qureshis are also very influential in Southern Punjab and interior Sindh, especially in lower Sindh where their political support may change the political dynamics in Sindh.
They have had a decisive role in politics of Multan and have mostly won in their constituencies.