Tareen, Qureshi, Asad eroded PM’s plan, says Fawad

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry Tuesday said infighting among Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Planning Minister Asad Umar and PTI leader Jahangir Tareen had impacted on the party and was one of the main reasons behind Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision not going according to the plan.

“There were a lot of expectations from the PTI and Imran Khan,” Fawad said in an interview with Sohail Warraich for Voice of America. “The public had not elected us or the prime minister to fix nuts and bolts but to reform the system. When the Panama case was resolved, I and few others had a chance to speak to Imran Khan and at that time I felt his ideas were very clear

Says differences among three leaders caused political vacuum filled by non political elements; new people still not in agreement with PM’s ideas; Tareen had Asad removed, when Umar rejoined cabinet he had Tareen removed; there is no leader like Imran in Muslim world; Imran has capability to bring Western, Muslim worlds together; suggestion to appoint ‘weak people’ cost PM dearly; Nawaz, Benazir appointed ‘weak people’; Fawad attempts to walk back on statements regarding reforms,” he said. The minister added, “The way he said the chief ministers had become dictators in Sindh and the finance commission award should be [implemented] along with police reforms and judicial reforms, it was very clear at that time what Imran Khan’s vision was."

Chaudhry said problems arose when the government was formed and differences among Umar, Tareen and Qureshi increased. "These differences pushed the entire political class out of the game altogether." “Consequently, when a political vacuum was created, it was filled by people who have nothing to do with politics,” he said. The minister said that just having ideas is not enough, "you have to form a team which brings the ideas to fruition". "When Imran Khan's core team was shaken, the new people to have replaced them were not in agreement with the [premier's] ideas and still aren't," he said.

When asked why despite having the political might of Qureshi and Pervez Khattak in the cabinet, things turned out the way they had, Fawad said they tried to have Tareen and Umar reconcile their differences but it could not happen. “When [Asad] Umar became the finance minister, [Jahangir] Tareen had him removed as the finance minister. Then when Umar came back [to the cabinet], he had Tareen removed. Similarly, Qureshi met Tareen to talk things over, but nothing could materialise,” Chaudhry said.

Responding to a question about whether the prime minister did not get an experienced team or if his governance was faulty, Chaudhry said a team was chosen by the leader. “I myself am surprised [over what has transpired]. There is no leader like Imran Khan in the Muslim world. The Turkish leadership is unacceptable to the West, the Saudi leadership is fraught with its own controversies, and Iran has its own problems. Imran Khan is the only leader who has the capability to bring the Western and Muslim worlds together. But when there is weakness from within, the focus from such things is diverted,” he said.

Chaudhry said Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto might have chosen weak people for important positions because ultimately their vision was to transfer power over to their children. “They had no other vision,” Chaudhry said, adding that PM Imran did not have the same problem. “The best people should have been [appointed to government positions]," he said. The minister, without naming anyone, said the suggestion to the premier to appoint "weak people" had cost him dearly.

Later in the day, during a meeting of the federal cabinet, Chaudhry attempted to walk back on statements made during the interview following an uproar by members.

The Geo News, citing sources, reported that Federal Ministers Asad Umar and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were strongly opposed to the interview's contents, with the premier reportedly chiding his party members to refrain from blowing the issue out of proportion. According to the sources, Faisal Vawda also lashed out at Umar and Qureshi. "There is no doubt over the fact that you both have ambitions to become the prime minister," he alleged, adding, "Your fights have caused a great deal of damage to the party."

Meanwhile, in an attempt to defuse the situation, Chaudhry told everyone to listen to the full interview before drawing any conclusions. "Sohail Warraich had asked for my analysis. My analysis was that the fight between these three members has hurt the party."