LAHORE: Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi missed his party’s rally in Gujrat on Friday as he has been tasked with wooing political support for their “Larkana show” schedule for November 21.

The PTI is very much concerned about the Larkana meeting as its leaders believe a good show will help develop a strong base in Sindh.

“Although Mr Qureshi may not like to miss PTI shows in Punjab but Imran Khan wants him to be in Sindh primarily to express solidarity with the Hindus in Dewali and pave the way for its daunting task,” a source in the PTI told Dawn.

As Mumtaz Bhutto has already quit the PML-N, Mr Qureshi has been tasked with winning the support of former chief ministers Liaquat Jatoi, Ghulam Arbab Rahim and Ghous Ali Shah.

“It will be very much demoralising for the PML-N Sindh chapter if Shah joins the PTI,” the source said, adding the PML-Q Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh was also in contact with Mr Qureshi.

The PTI also intends to seek the support of the Larkana-based old guards of the PPP - Nahid Khan and Dr Safdar Abbasi for the rally. Mr Qureshi also called on Mr Abbasi in Larkana at a reference on his late mother.

Dr Abbasi told Dawn Mr Qureshi and he had been friends for 48 years. “I believe the people of Larkana will turn up to listen to Imran Khan as there has been a big vacuum for an opposition party to play its role,” he said.

When asked would the PPP-Worker, a faction of the PPP launched by him and his wife Naheed Khan, extend its support to the PTI rally, Mr Abbasi passed a smile.

Mr Qureshi told Dawn he had been tasked not only to strengthen the party in Sindh but also in other parts of the country. About wooing prominent politicians of Sindh, he said: “We are consuming our energies more to woo the general public.”

Mr Qureshi dismissed reports that he or some other PTI leaders in the core committee meeting asked Mr Khan to review the Islamabad sit-in and concentrate on city-to-city rallies. “There has been no question of winding up the sit-in as the whole party has one voice over the issue,” he said.

Mr Qureshi also played down Javed Hashmi’s claim the PML-N had been working on him (Qureshi) to give a major dent to thee PTI. “I cannot respond to Mr Hashmi’s comment as he is not well,” Qureshi said.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2014