Former Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Resigns from PPP and National Assembly

Strategic Insights -

Pakistani former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi resigned from the Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) basic membership and the National Assembly seat, calling on members of the Parliament to follow suit and launch a struggle for fresh elections. Qureshi criticized the government's failures, including its inability to deliver and serve the people, and accused the incumbent PPP leadership of deviating from the political philosophy of Benazir Bhutto.

Key Takeaways:

  • Shah Mehmood Qureshi resigned from PPP's basic membership and the National Assembly seat, citing the party's failure to deliver and serve the people.
  • Qureshi accused the PPP leadership of deviating from the political philosophy of Benazir Bhutto and turning the party into the "Zardari League".
  • He criticized the government's failures, including its inability to revive the economy, create jobs, and reduce poverty and inflation.
  • Qureshi called for fresh elections to be held under an apolitical interim setup and an independent Election Commission.
  • He accused the government of violating the Charter of Democracy (CoD) by forming an alliance with the PML-Q.
  • Qureshi also slammed the government's handling of the economy, stating that over Rs 1,000 billion had been wasted due to bad governance.

Statistics:

  • Over Rs 1,000 billion has been wasted due to the government's bad governance in various state entities like Pakistan Railways, PIA, Wapda, and Pakistan Steel Mills.
  • Pakistan's economy has been struggling, with poverty, unemployment, and inflation on the rise.
  • The government's relations with the IMF have been strained.
  • Qureshi claimed that the restructuring plan of strategic assets given by Shaukat Tarin, if implemented, could have saved the money pumped in as bailout packages for these entities.

Sources:

  • (THE NATION): "Shah Mehmood Qureshi resigns from PPP, national assembly seat" by Abrar Saeed, November 15, 2011.
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