Qureshi likely to ripple political horizons

AHMEDPUR EAST - PPP central leader and former foreign minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi will make an announcement about his political future at a big public meeting during the current month, TheNation learnt. His close circles disclosed to this scribe here that that Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi had decided to bid farewell to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). However, he has been mulling over three options and has started consultations on these options with his comrades, political supporters, legislators and followers, belong to South Punjab and Interior Sindh. They elaborated that these options included to join PML-N, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or to work independently on political horizons. His close circles further informed that Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi had been invited by PML-N Patron-in-Chief Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Syed Munawar Hassan to join their respective parties. On the other hand, his only son Makhdoomzada Zain Qureshi who has returned from the United States upon completion of his studies, is a staunch supporter of Imran Khan and was also seen on the stage during the PTI public meeting in Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore. Moreover, some of his supporters were reportedly interested and want that Shah Mehmood Qureshi should rejoin his mother party the PML-N. It has also been learnt that PTI Chairman Imran Khan desires to see his party taking routes in South Punjab and Interior Sindh where the party has failed to make any ground so far. While Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi has been in close contact with prominent political heavy weights of these regions besides enjoying the support of thousands of devotees. The PTI sources told this scribe that If Shah Mehmood Qureshi decided to join the PTI then he would be given the responsibilities to organise the party in rural Pakistan. Meanwhile, another report says that Shah Mehmood Qureshi was annoyed with PPP leadership for introducing a candidate against him from his home constituency whom Ms Benzair Bhutto Shaheed disliked as he had ditched the party in dictator Musharraf era. Meanwhile, Senior Adviser to Punjab Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Zulfikar Ali Khosa and others have urged Shah Mehmood Qureshi to join PML-N where his old colleagues would welcome his rejoining with open hearts and arms. Political circles opined that now after a long span of period, old political rivalry between Qureshi and Gillani families will be revived in Multan district politics as both Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Premier Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani were making efforts to lead their groups in the next general elections.