Former Sindh governor Imran Ismail, a senior leader of Jahangir Tareen's Istehkam-e-Pakistan (IPP), has clarified his meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Ismail claimed that the veteran politician intended to form his own group within the party.
Taking to social media platform 'X', formerly known as Twitter, the politician, who was previously associated with Imran Khan's party, revealed that he met with Quershi in jail, adding that the meeting was organised at Qureshi's request.
میری شاہ محمود قریشی سے جیل میں ملاقات ہوئی تھی - میں ریکارڈ کی درستگی کے لیے یہ بات کہنا چاہتا ہوں کہ میں نے ان سے کبھی PTI چھورنے کی بات نہیں کی- یہ ملاقات شاہ صاحب کی خواہش پر ہوئی تھی- شاہ صاحب اپنا گروپ تشکیل دینا چاہیے تھے جس پر ہم نے ساتھ دینے سے معذرت کی-
— Imran Ismail (@ImranIsmailPTI) January 16, 2024
The former Sindh governor further claimed that he never asked Qureshi, who is still in prison about his 'involvement' in the May 9 riots, to leave the party.
"I have met Shah Mahmood Qureshi," he wrote on 'X', adding, "I want to make it clear that I never discussed leaving PTI with him."
However, Ismail stressed that the meeting was "held on the wish of Shah Sahib."
"Shah sahib wanted to form his own group, but we excused ourselves from supporting him," he wrote in his social media post.
Ismail's statement comes at a time when Qureshi is set to run in the forthcoming general election on February 8.