Shah Mahmood Qureshi wanted to form own group within PTI, claims Imran Ismail

Imran Ismail, a senior leader of Jahangir Tareen's Istehkam-e-Pakistan (IPP), has clarified regarding his meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, claiming that the veteran politico wanted to form his own group in the party.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, the politician — who was earlier associated with the Imran Khan-founded party — stated that he met the senior PTI leader while he was in jail, however, the meeting was scheduled on Qureshi's wish.

The former Sindh governor, in his statement, also revealed that he had never asked the former foreign minister — who remains behind bars for his 'involvement' in the May 9 riots — to leave the party.

"I met Shah Mahmood Qureshi. I want to state for the record that I never talked to him about leaving PTI," he wrote on X.

However, Ismail added, that the meeting was "held on the wish of Shah sahib".

"Shah sahib wanted to form his own group but we excused from supporting," he added in his post on the social media platform.

Ismail's statement comes at a time when Qureshi is slated to run for the upcoming general elections on February 8.

While Ismail does not clarify when exactly this meeting took place, it is important to note that Qureshi met with the now-IPP leader in the wake of the May 9 riots and the arrests that ensued from the violence last year, which were triggered due to Khan's arrest in a graft case.

Ismail, along with PTI defectors Fawad Chaudhry and Mahmood Molvi — who is IPP Sindh president — met the incarcerated politician when he was in Adiala jail in June 2022.

In a media talk outside the jail after the meeting, Fawad and others maintained that they had made contact with a number of PTI leaders and those who had left the party. There were unconfirmed reports that the visitors tried to convince Qureshi to also part ways with the party.

Qureshi’s son Zain Hussain Qureshi, on the other hand, denied media reports over his father’s meeting with the former PTI leaders in Adiala Jail.

“I deny the impression being given in the media on Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s meeting with former PTI leaders in Adiala Jail today [Wednesday]. Makhdoom Sahib is the vice chairman of the party and the name of an ideology,” he explained.

“We stand with the PTI and Imran Khan’s ideology. Shah Mehmood Qureshi has done politics of principles and service till date and no post or greed can buy Shah Sahib. We were with Imran Khan yesterday and are today as well,” he said in a tweet.