PTI defector hopeful of positive outcome of meeting with Shah Mahmood Qureshi

The outcome of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) defectors' meeting with incarcerated PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi would be visible soon, ex-PTI Sindh senior vice president Mahmood Moulvi has said.

Moulvi was one of the several party leaders who quit the PTI leadership position and also resigned as a Member of the National Assembly earlier this month in the aftermath of the May 9 violent riots.

Khan’s party has been feeling the heat of the government's might after his enraged workers attacked military installations, including the Lahore Corps Commanders House and the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, following his arrest in a corruption case on May 9 — a day the army dubbed as “Black Day”.

"Our meeting with Shah Mehmood Qureshi at the jail was encouraging and its results would be revealed within two days," Moulvi said during an interview on Geo News' programme "Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath".

The ex-PTI leader said he had other former party leaders — Fawad Chaudhry, Imran Ismail, and Aamir Kiani — did not visit the incarcerated ex-foreign minister on someone's direction.

Sources familiar privy to the knowledge of the meeting told Geo News that the party's former bigwigs had met Qureshi in Adiala jail on Wednesday to "change" his loyalty.

“250 million people can’t be left at the mercy of [Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman] Asif Ali Zardari and [Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo] Nawaz Sharif,” Fawad said after the meeting, implying that they met Qureshi for political reasons.

Moulvi said no one should sit aside and leave politics. He added that even if Khan is disqualified, the PTI chairman has made it clear that Qureshi would lead the party.

In response to a question about whether Khan should relinquish the party's charge before his arrest, Moulvi said: "He is analysing everything himself. I will not comment on it further since I'm not a member of the party anymore."

Khan has been adamant — despite more than 100 party leaders having parted ways — and said that no matter how many people leave, anyone who gets PTI's ticket would win elections.

"In a race, several horses compete [...] some are even pulled out before the race," he said, noting that several politicians aren't ready to stay with the party and some have already joined others.

"You saw what happened in Karachi's local body elections."