Demonstration held in support of Shah Mehmood Qureshi

PPP activists on Monday staged a demonstration in front of Multan Press Club to press the party leadership to review its decision and to induct Shah Mehmood Qureshi in the federal cabinet as foreign minister because "he is the suitable person" for this job.
Meanwhile the people of Tatepur (NA-148) Multan-I staged a protest demonstration, kept their shops closed and blocked traffic for not including Qureshi in the federal cabinet and launching a vilification driver against him. The demo was led by Mazhar Abbnas Gardezi, Amjad Ali, Muhammad Akram, Ramzan Maitla, and Altaf Dharala. However, they dispersed peacefully.
On the other side, PPP workers held a protest demonstration here in favour of Qureshi and demanded his reinstatement. The rebel jiyalas (PPP workers) came out on roads and demonstrated for the reinstatement of Qureshi. They threatened to launch a movement if Qureshi is not reinstated. Mehmood's supporters also got published advertisements on the front pages of national dailies and paid homage to him for his principled stance, for his honesty, corruption-free politics.
Talking to his close aide Dr Akhtar,MPA, Qureshi said that he stands by his stance on US national Raymond Davis case. "I stand by my stance on the issue and will not change it." He said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had contacted him and asked for immunity for Raymond Davis. He said that he was not angry with his party and took decision in party's favour. "What wrong have I done which turned my party fellows harsh on me?"
Ruling PPP is upset over Qureshi's stance that US national Raymond Davis could not be given diplomatic immunity, with a federal minister saying that such remarks would 'create a bad environment in the country'.
Qureshi may also face disciplinary action for refusing the portfolio of water and power in the new cabinet, with a section of the ruling PPP demanding stern action against him. Talking to reporters at two different functions in Lahore on Sunday, Babar Awan, in an obvious reference to Quereshi's statement on diplomatic status of Raymond Davis, said that the government would not allow anybody to become hero by politicising the issue. Without naming Qureshi, he said that anybody who was no more part of the government had no right to give policy statement on important issues.
He said selection of cabinet was more a matter pertaining to party leadership rather than the prerogative of the prime minister, or the president. "It is up to the party leadership to select suitable persons for different slots whom it thinks will serve the people better," he had said speaking in the context of exclusion of some persons' names who were part of the previous cabinet.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar said that performance of foreign ministry was good during the tenure of Qureshi, but credit did not go to him alone as all vital decisions are made through consultation involving all members of the cabinet and the top hierarchy.
"Shah Mehmood had not shown his concerns when he was foreign minister, and now these remarks about Davis are not in favour of the country," Information and Broadcasting Minister Firdous Aashiq Awan said. She said that Qureshi's statements about US national Davis's immunity would "create a bad environment in the country". She said that the Davis case is already in court and the government would accept the verdict given by the court.
The government will pursue the matter in court and would not go by the remarks of any individual, Firdous said, adding such issues could be debated in the PPP's meetings and not in the media.
Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro, while rejecting Qureshi's statement, said that Qureshi refused to join the cabinet because Musharraf's arrest warrant was issued. He said that Qureshi had levelled baseless accusations against the party. Another federal minister said the decision to exclude Qureshi from the newly appointed cabinet seemed to have been taken at the last moment.
Qureshi might face disciplinary action if he does not clear his position before PPP co-chairman President Asif Ali Zardari, a PPP leader told Indian news agency PTI. The PPP leader said a section of the leadership was not happy with Qureshi for 'violating' party discipline. He said some leaders had suggested to President Zardari that he should formally be called to the presidency to 'inquire about his behaviour'.
"If Qureshi is allowed to violate party discipline, it will not set a good precedent," one leader was quoted as having said to Zardari. PPP Secretary General Pervez Ashraf said that the tone and tenor of Qureshi indicated that another Leghari was in the making in the party. "But, Mr Shah Mahmood Qureshi's fate will not be different from that of Leghari".
He said that Mahmood should realise and keep the example of Farooq Leghari in mind. He should also realise that the party always gives a fair chance of giving inputs regarding any decision and so was the case when the party took decision to downsize the cabinet. "Everyone of us, including Mr Qureshi took part in the decision making process", he added.
Ashraf said that he (Qureshi) must realise that his efforts to pressurise the party would never become a reality as the party does not owe its strength to individuals but to the people of Pakistan. "It seems that Qureshi has joined the bandwagon of political actors, hatching conspiracies against party leadership. But this new conspiracy would also fail like the previous ones," he added. Qamar Zaman Kaira said, "Those who left the PPP have been lost in history."
Staff reporter from Peshawar adds: Federal Minister for Railways Ghulam Ahmed Bilour said here on Sunday that the chair and oath file of Shah Mahmood Qureshi were removed a little before the oath-taking ceremony of the new cabinet. Talking to journalists, Bilour said that when he went for oath taking, the chair and oath file of Qureshi were there in the Presidency but after a while they were removed.