KARACHI: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Saturday rubbished speculation regarding alleged plans of contesting elections in Sindh as an independent candidate.

“This is nonsense,” the PTI leader told Dawn.com over telephone. “I am an elected vice chairman from PTI, and I would never contest elections independently.”

The buzz started on social media after Qureshi met with Pakistan Muslim League – Functional (PML-F) chief Pir Sibgatullah Rashididi (Pir Pagara) in the afternoon.

However, despite his refusal, the social networking website, Twitter was full of speculation. Omar Warraich, a reporter with the Times magazine for Pakistan, tweeted: "I feel sorry for PTI supporters. They elected Shah Mahmood their vice-president and now he's standing as an independent."

A reporter with Jang Group, Umer Cheema tweeted that: "Javed Hashmi sb must be excited to hear Shah Mehmood Qureshi's decision. After all they have been rivaling each other."

Earlier in the day, PTI chief Imran Khan did not come clean on the speculation and gave quite a vague response to a question on Qureshi contesting the elections as an independent candidate.

"Whether he contests as an independent or on the party ticket, he (SMQ) will remain the PTI vice chairman. And the seat will be ours regardless."

Qureshi is slated to contest elections from Umar Kot and Tharparkar in Sindh.