In a heated exchange, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and Aleem Khan, central leader of the newly formed Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP), traded barbs on Saturday as the former referred to the IPP as “dead on arrival,” while Khan predicted the end of the PTI.
Speaking to the media outside an anti-terrorism court in Lahore, Qureshi drew an analogy, saying, “There was an accident, and a patient was taken to a hospital’s emergency [ward]… The doctor examined him and said, ‘Dead on arrival.’ So I will say this is a launch which is dead on arrival,” referring to the IPP.
In response, Aleem Khan took to Twitter, stating, “Respected Qureshi sahib, it is in God’s hand to give honor or humiliation, and only He knows who is ‘dead on arrival’ and whose ‘the end’ it is.”
The IPP, led by Jahangir Khan Tareen, who was once a close aide of Imran Khan, was officially launched on Thursday. Several PTI defectors, including those who left after the May 9 incidents and amidst a state crackdown, stood alongside Tareen during the launch ceremony.
This included former Sindh governor Imran Ismail, former PTI financier Aleem Khan, former Azad Kashmir prime minister Tanvir Ilays, and former ministers Amir Kayani, Ali Zaidi, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, Firdous Ashiq Awan, Saeed Akbar Nawani, and Nauman Langrial. Former federal information minister Fawad Chaudhry, who was present but chose not to sit on the stage, sparked speculation about his decision to join the IPP under pressure.
Qureshi acknowledged that every political figure has the right to make their own decisions and join different parties. He noted that prominent names and politicians had exercised their right to join the IPP.
When asked about the future of the PTI in light of recent developments, Qureshi emphasized that the PTI is a federal party with widespread support and an established ideology across the country. He expressed optimism about the PTI’s bright future and its continued relevance.
