Shah Mehmmod Qureshi enjoys public support

MULTAN,Feb 14th:PPP activists on Monday staged a demonstration in front of Multan Press Club to press the party leadership to review its decision and induction of Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi in federal cabinet as foreign minister because he was the suitable person for this job.
Meanwhile People of Tatepur (NA-148)Multan-I staged a protest demonstration,kept close their shops anbd blocked the traffic for not inclusion of Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi in federal cabinet and launching a vilification driver against him.The demo was led by Mazhar Abbnas Gardezi, Amjad Ali Muhammad Akram Chavan Ramzan Maitla, and Malik Altaf Dharala. However they dispersed peacefully.On the other side, PPP workers held a protest demonstration in Multan in favour of Qureshi and demanded his reinstatement.The rebel Jiyalas (PPP workers) came out on roads and demonstrate for the reinstatement of Qureshi. They threatened to launch a movement if Qureshi is not reinstated.Shah Mehmood's Supporters also got published advertisements on the front pages of national dailies and pay homage to him for his principled stance ,for his honesty, corruption-free politics.Talking to his close aide Dr.Akhtarb Malik,MPA,Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that he stands by his stance on US national Raymond Davis case. “I stand by my stance on the issue and will not change it.” He said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had contacted him and asked for immunity for Raymond Davis. He said that he was not angry with his party and took decision in party’s favour. “What have I done wrong which turned my party fellows harsh on me?”
Ruling Pakistan People’s Party is upset over former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s stance that US national Raymond Davis could not be given diplomatic immunity, with a federal minister saying that such remarks will ‘create a bad environment in the country’.
Qureshi may also face disciplinary action for refusing the water and power portfolio in the new cabinet, with a section of the ruling PPP demanding stern action against him.
Talking to reporters at two different functions in Lahore on Sunday, Federal Law Minister Babar Awan, in an obvious reference to former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Quereshi’s statement on diplomatic status of Raymond Davis, said that the government will not allow anybody to become hero by politicising the issue.
Without naming Qureshi, the minister said that anybody who was no more part of the government had no right to give policy statement on important issues. He said selection of cabinet was more a matter pertaining to party leadership rather than the prerogative of the prime minister or the president. “It is up to the party leadership to select suitable persons for different slots whom it thinks will serve the people better,” he said speaking in the context of exclusion of some names which were part of the previous cabinet.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Ch Ahmad Mukhtar said that performance of foreign ministry was good during the tenure of Shah Mahmood Qureshi, but credit did not go to him alone as all vital decisions are made through consultation involving all members of the cabinet and the top hierarchy.
“Shah Mehmood had not shown his concerns when he was foreign minister and now these remarks about Davis are not in favour of the country,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Firdous Aashiq Awan said
She said Qureshi’s statements about US national Davis’ immunity will ‘create a bad environment in the country’. She said the Davis case is already in court and the government will accept the verdict given by the court. The government will pursue the matter in court and not go by the remarks of any individual, Firdous said and added such issues can be debated in the PPP’s meetings and not in the media.
Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro, while rejecting Qureshi’s statement, said that Qureshi refused to join the cabinet because Musharraf’s arrest warrant was issued. He said that Qureshi levelled baseless accusations against the party. Another federal minister said the decision to exclude Qureshi from the newly appointed cabinet seemed to have been taken at the last moment.Meanwhile, Shah Mehmood Qureshi may face disciplinary action for refusing the water and power portfolio in the new cabinet, with a section of the ruling PPP demanding stern action against him. Qureshi might face disciplinary action if he does not clear his position before PPP Co-Chairman President Asif Ali Zardari, a senior PPP leader told Indian news agency PTI on condition of anonymity.
Qureshi skipped the ceremony after he learnt that he would not be given charge of the foreign ministry. President Zardari had to delay the oath-taking ceremony for almost 25 minutes after 54-year-old Qureshi failed to turn up.
Qureshi finally informed the PPP leadership that he was not interested in the water and power ministry.
The PPP leader said a section of the leadership was not happy with Qureshi for ‘violating’ party discipline. He said some leaders had suggested to President Zardari that the former minister should formally be called to the presidency to ‘inquire about his behaviour’.
“If Qureshi is allowed to violate the party discipline, it will not set a good precedent,” one of the leaders was quoted as having said to Zardari.
Members of the old cabinet who were not inducted in the new one, including Qamar Zaman Kaira and Raja Pervaz Ashraf, have not publicly expressed their displeasure at the PPP leadership’s decision.
PPP Secretary General Peoples Party Parliamentarians, Raja Pervez Ashraf said that tone and tenor of Qureshi indicates that another Leghari is in the making in the party, But, “Mr Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s fate will not be different than that of Leghari”.
Reacting to the comments of Qureshi, Raja said “Mr Shah Mahmood should realise and keep the example of Farooq Leghari in mind. He should also realise that the party always gives a fair chance of giving inputs regarding any decision and so was the case when the party took decision to downsize the cabinet. Everyone of us including Mr Qureshi took part in the decision making process”, he added.
Raja said that he (Qureshi) must realise that his efforts to pressurise the party shall never become a reality as the party does not owe its strength to individuals but to the people of Pakistan. It seems that Qureshi has joined the bandwagon of political actors hatching conspiracies against the party leadership but this new conspiracy would also fail like the previous ones, he added.
Former information minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said, “Those who left the PPP, have lost in history.”
Staff Reporter from Peshawar adds: Federal Minister for Railways, Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, revealed here on Sunday that chair and oath file of Shah Mahmood Qureshi were removed a little earlier before the oath-taking ceremony of the new cabinet.
Talking to journalists, Bilour informed when he went for administering oath, the chair and oath file of Qureshi were present in the Presidency but after a while they were removed.