INTERVIEW: Shah Mehmood Qureshi

‘PTI will accept judgment of independent, authoritative judicial commission’

The case had to be brought to the people’s court.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi is the focal point of PTI with good reason. He’s been far more active, and vocal, in the new party than even during his days in government. Also, among all of Imran’s close aides, he has, perhaps, the best credentials to represent the party on the various forums it needs to in light of its confrontational politics. He understands the highways and by-ways of parliamentary and back-door politics, like Javed Hashmi (even though baghi has long since turned into daghi). He knows government and the foreign ministry, like Khurshid Kasuri. And the large vote bank at his disposal makes him more significant than the Shafqat Mahmoods of the party. He’s also articulate, equally comfortable in English and Urdu, and argues the party’s case better than most of his colleagues, especially the chairman.

He talked exclusively to DNA to provide a better understanding of his party’s thinking as the confrontation with the government intensifies.

Question: How does PTI feel about the government’s decision to resume talks?

Shah Mehmood Qureshi: We welcome the government’s announcement to resume the dialogue process unconditionally. However, the sit-ins and protests of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) would continue till the findings of the judicial commission are finalised. PTI has already exhibited flexibility over the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and now we would not be insisting over the PM’s resignation. But we can’t go beyond this (flexibility). If the judicial commission finds the polls rigged, the prime minister would have to resign and dissolve the national assembly. If the rigging is not proved, we will pack up our sit-in.

Previously, we have held 15 meetings with the PML-N negotiating panel and all other issues have been settled amicably. The major irritant between PTI and the government that remains unresolved is the terms of reference (ToRs) for the judicial commission. If the government is serious, it should frame ToRs for vote audit, giving powers to the judicial commission for the audit. Otherwise, the problem would remain unresolved, which may create political mess.

Q: Why is PTI not showing political maturity when the government has agreed to hold talks and even election tribunals are sending positive signals? For instance, the tribunal has directed for vote audit in NA-122, Lahore.

SMQ: The government has not agreed to hold talks with PTI easily. It took us almost one-and-a-half-years’ constant struggle to reach here. We have explored all forums to seek justice. We went to the election tribunals, then to high courts, the Supreme Court, and even parliament – but to no avail. After exploring all options, we decided to move the peoples’ court, which is the ultimate decision-making body after Allah, in political terms.

Now we can’t ditch the public’s decision. We have to remain in the peoples’ court. Now all depends upon the government’s conduct and its intentions.

Q: If the PTI decides to continue with its protests, are there chances of a repeat of Faisalabad-like violence in Lahore as well?

SMQ: Violence in Faisalabad was a result of the government’s decision to keep the police a silent spectator and it was decided that the government would mobilise PML-N workers to counter PTI workers. The government believed that PTI workers were “burger crowed” and they would not be able to withstand the hooliganism of PML-N workers. Had the government not made this blunder, there would have been no violence in Faisalabad.

If we could keep our sit-in peaceful for 170 days, why can’t we keep our protest in Lahore peaceful as well? If our public meetings across Punjab and Sindh have remained peaceful despite participation of millions of people, why can’t we remain peaceful elsewhere? If tens of thousands of PTI workers remained peaceful in Islamabad in the Nov30 rally, why would they be violent in Lahore?

Look, our intentions are obvious. We want to remain peaceful but the government needs to keep its workers away from our protest meetings. Now, peace will be based on the government’s intent and actions. If the government’s intentions are questionable, no one can guarantee peace.

Q: Why did Imran Khan announce that even if rigging allegations are not proved, PTI lawmakers would still not join the assemblies?

SMQ: Basically, one has to understand that it’s not a legal issue, rather it’s a political matter. There are always issues when media statements are made. Sometimes, statements are quoted out of context, sometimes half truths are told. Imran Khan has time and again made it clear that if rigging is not proved, the PTI would accept the court’s judgment. I want to reiterate this commitment in unequivocal terms that the judgment of an independent and authoritative judicial commission would be accepted by PTI.

Q: How many politicians are going to join the PTI in the next few weeks?

SMQ: I tell you we have given some surprises but more and bigger surprises are yet to come. You know that PML-N MNA Ijaz Chaudhry has recently joined PTI, while many more are set to join us. Moreover, five former MNAs including Saifuddin Khosa, Shahabuddin Sehar, Niaz Ahmad Jhakkar, Begum Rao Sikandar Iqbal, Rai Aslam Kharal and former MPA Akram Bhatti have also joined PTI. Many more are in contact and soon would be joining us. Many lawmakers from Sindh are also in contact with PTI as they are disillusioned with PPP and PML-N.

Q: Have you made any contact with the children of Mir Murtaza Bhutto?

SMQ: I have no contact with the children of Mir Murtaza Bhutto. However, many leaders of the PPP are in contact with PTI. There is a serious discord between PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his father and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari over a host of issues. Both father and son are not seeing eye-to-eye and there are even serious differences over party affairs and ideology.

Mr Zardari has recently announced that Bilawal is inexperienced and he would not run party affairs. He has also announced to run the part himself. Bilawal is disturbed and he is even not allowed to bring in structural changes in the PPP.

Bilawal had appointed Sherry Rehman as the party’s vice chairperson but the notification was not issued. He also wanted to remove some ministers from the Sindh government and had issued show-cause notices to CM Sindh Qaim Ali Shah and provincial minister Manzoor Wassan. But the de facto chairman got these notices withdrawn without approval from Bilawal.

Q: Is Sheikh Rashid visiting Karachi with a subtle message from Imran Khan to win support from MQM?

SMQ: Sheikh Rashid is the head of Awami Muslim League, which is an ally of PTI. However, he is independent in taking his own decisions. Imran Khan has not sent Sheikh Rashid to Karachi. No decision of Imran Khan’s is binding on Sheikh Rashid, nor is PTI responsible for any of his acts. However, I think that the conduct and intentions of the Sindh government would determine whether or not PTI’s Karachi protest will remain peaceful. If the Sindh government handles the protest prudently, it would definitely remain peaceful.

Q: How confident are you about the dialogue between PTI and the government?

SMQ: That also depends on the conduct of the government’s negotiating panel. We have already expressed our determination for the talks by withdrawing our condition for resignation of the prime minister prior to the judicial probe into poll rigging.

But talks may fail if the government’s negotiators have planned to fool the nation. It’s a possibility that out of the government’s panel, Ishaq Dar and Ahsan Iqbal play ‘good cops’ while Pervaiz Rashid and Saad Rafique play ‘bad cops’. If any such thing happens, the government would be the looser and the PTI would again move to the peoples’ court.