LAHORE: The much-awaited meeting between Shah Mehmood Qureshi and PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, which assumed added significance because of a claim made by Imran Khan that the former foreign minister would be joining his party, took place here on Tuesday.
PML-N sources told Dawn that the former minister was still keeping his options open and asked for time to “consult members of his group before making up his mind”.
The PML-N never expected him to join the party in the first meeting which had taken place despite Imran Khan’s claim that Mr Qureshi would be joining the PTI.
“The PML-N is happy to keep Mr Qureshi engaged and Imran Khan guessing,” said the sources.
According to people close to Mr Qureshi, the former foreign minister might not join the PTI because he was considering two options—forming his own party or joining the PML-N.
He was embarrassed by Imran Khan’s claim about his joining the PTI, which was not the case because he is yet to take a final decision.
The sources said the PTI chief possibly did not comprehend the line of Mr Qureshi’s thinking.
“Mr Qureshi has been a foreign minister and a successful one. Now he is looking beyond that post. Neither the PTI nor the PML-N is in a position to offer him anything beyond that. That is precisely where Mr Qureshi is stuck,” the sources said.
Although he is meeting everyone to add political weight to his person, he is still assessing the situation.
“We will not be surprised if the much-trumpeted Ghotki meeting is postponed for some later date,” they said.
PML-N insiders believe that the PTI option was not being seriously considered by Mr Qureshi.
Their assessment is based on the activities of Makhdoom Ahmad Mahmood who may himself join the PML-N.
It was the Makhdoom, one of the powerful politicians from south Punjab, who brought a son of Pir Pagara to meet Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday and then lobbied in the party also for Mr Qureshi.
“The Makhdoom has been instrumental in weaning Mr Qureshi away from the PTI and getting him closer to the PML-N,” says one of the PML-N insiders.
The problem with the PML-N is that it has nothing substantial to offer.
“If some common point is reached within next week or so, Mr Qureshi will jump to the PML-N bandwagon or else capitalise on his Sindh connection where he has huge spiritual following to form his own party,” the sources said.
Talking to reporters after his meeting with Mr Sharif, Mr Qureshi criticised the PPP government and said it had lost moral authority, both in the country and abroad. “No-one takes this government seriously anymore. It is time for the opposition to resign from the assemblies, which have lost their meaning and utility, and go to the people.” Mr Qureshi kept evading questions about his political future and said: “Everything will be made public on Nov 27.”
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