Shah Mahmood Qureshi did not praise PM Nawaz: Shireen Mazari

Published October 3, 2016
Shah Mahmood Qureshi talks to media after attending an all parties conference in Prime Minister secretariat. ─AP
Shah Mahmood Qureshi talks to media after attending an all parties conference in Prime Minister secretariat. ─AP

KARACHI: Soon after an ‘All Parties Conference’ held to discuss the Kashmir issue and India concluded and the media reported what each political leader had to say, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's (PTI) chief whip in the National Assembly said there was misinformation being spread about the stance taken by the party at the meeting.

"Disinformation about Shah Mahmood Qureshi heaping praise on the prime minister being spread," Shireen Mazari tweeted. "He raised the issue of Panama and pointed to the shortcomings in the PM's United Nations speech."

Mazari's remarks reiterate her party's critical stance against the present government, which it has called on for accountability and slammed over Panamagate.

Earlier, state-owned Radio Pakistan reported that Qureshi had "appreciated the prime minister's comprehensive speech at the United Nations saying the present government has taken positive steps regarding improvement in relations with India but regrettably, the other side has not reciprocated."

However, Mazari's tweet rubbished these reports.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi while speaking to Dawn.com acknowledged that PM Nawaz's UNGA speech was "comprehensive and balanced".

"Everyone in the room said this," he admitted.

PTI chief Imran Khan was conspicuously absent at today's meeting, which took place mere days after the party announced during it's Raiwind march that it would not allow the government to function after Muharram.

Mazari also said that Qureshi had critiqued the government's diplomatic failure following the Saarc summit and its late responses to Indian moves.

Qureshi confirmed this, telling Dawn.com, "I pointed out the diplomatic failures of the government in the way they were not able to interact with Saarc countries, and they one by one all pulled out. I also pointed out they did not respond in time when they could have foreseen this after the Indian home minister came and abruptly left after the meeting in Islamabad."

"The government did not raise the issue of the investigation into the Uri attack in time, and the briefing to the P5 envoys which was three days after the incident was a delayed reaction," he said.

Qureshi said he also raised the water issue after India "violated the mandatory meeting under the Indus Water Treaty".

Nawaz Sharif greets Shah Mehmood Qureshi on his arrival to attend the meeting. ─PPI
Nawaz Sharif greets Shah Mehmood Qureshi on his arrival to attend the meeting. ─PPI

"The government did not distinguish between [Indian Foreign Minister] Sushma Swaraj claiming Kashmir to be an integral part of India and the Balochistan issue," he said. "That is an internal dispute."

Today's 'All Parties Conference’ appeared to unite the country's otherwise wrangling political leaders as the government and opposition said they stood united against "Indian aggression".

Despite the PTI's contentious announcement at Raiwind earlier, today Shah Mahmood Qureshi talked about the need for all parties to "put up a united front before the world".

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