ISLAMABAD - The Speaker National Assembly has yet not accepted the resignation of former foreign minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who had resigned from both his National Assembly seat and basic membership of Pakistan People’s Party on November 14.
Sources in the National Assembly Secretariat informed TheNation that Speaker National Assembly Dr Fahmida Mirza was abroad when Shah Mahmood Qureshi had tendered his resignation from his National Assembly seat, and Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi had not entertained his resignation. Later, the National Assembly Secretariat had raised an objection on the resignation submitted to the Secretariat, as it was typed and did not carry Qurwshi’s signature. Usually the handwritten resignation is the requirement of the NA Secretariat.
Sources in the government informed that now as Makhdoom Javed Hashmi has also joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, so the PPP leadership would prefer to further delay the matter of accepting the Qureshi’s resignation, as it would be next to impossible to win the seat from National Assembly constituency NA-148, the hometown of both Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Makhdoom Javed Hashmi.
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani’s son Ali Moosa Gilani was planning to contest elections from this constituency and Prime Minister himself was running his campaign and holding meetings on daily basis with delegations from the area at Prime Minister’s House to woo support for his son.
Sources in the PPP informed that even Prime Minister Gilani had talked to PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif in this regard and sought his support for his son, but the PTI joining of both the Makhdooms changed the whole scenario and made it extremely difficult for anyone to win elections from this constituency.
Sources in PTI informed that ostensibly PTI was not interested in contesting by-polls, but when this question was put to Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi he replied with smile on his face that let the NA accept his resignation first, adding that when the by-polls on the seat would be announced, they would announce their decision.
It is interesting to note that NA-148 comprising the villages and areas around Makhdoom Rashid is considered to be the home constituency of Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and his family has never lost any election on this seat since 1985 non-party elections. While in almost all the elections held on this seat the runners up remained Makhdoom Javid Hashmi and right now both the winner and runners up were in the same party making it extremely difficult for any third candidate to win elections in the face of these heavyweights.
Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza was caught in the Catch-22 position as Makhdoom Javid Hashmi had joined PTI after the fielding of Ali Moosa Gilani as candidate from this constituency and Prime Minister himself was running his election campaign.