Curious case of Shah Mahmood Qureshi : Did he really spark the crisis for Imran Khan

 

Did Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Imran's foreign minister, really spark the crisis for Imran Khan ?  

If one believes PPP chairman, Bilawal Bhutto; such a possibility is not ruled out. 

On April 9, 2022, during the crucial debate on No Confidence Motion against Imran Khan government, Bhutto Zardari said - "I had warned the Prime Minister (Imran) long ago to be wary and careful about the person who spoke before me (Qureshi) that he would get Imran Khan trapped....and Usi ne phasaya (and he has done so)". 

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In August 2018 as soon as the news flashed from Islamabad that Qureshi will be the new Foreign Minister under Imran Khan, journalists and Indo-Pak watchers did not miss the point to recall that on the 'historic and ill-fated' day of November 26, 2008 - the day Mumbai was under siege of 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, the then Pak Foreign Minister was in India "addressing a joint press conference" with his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee.

In fact, MEA website still has the record of the statement wherein - to the much embarrassment of the UPA regime - Mr Mukherjee had stated: "In our review today we noted the substantial achievements already have been made in the Fifth Round. To list some of them, the opening of cross LoC trade, the agreement in principle to open the Wagah-Attari route for all permissible items of trade, the opening of Kokhrapar-Munabao rail link for trade in cargo, discussion on modalities of the Kargil-Skardu link".

For his part, Mr Qureshi had said: "In Pakistan today you have a democratic government. And I expect the largest democracy in the world to be supportive to a democratic dispensation in Pakistan. The political environment of Pakistan today is very positive towards India".

It is altogether a different matter that hours after the media interaction, Lashqar militants including Ajmal Kasab attacked India's commercial capital and killed 166 people, including foreign citizens.

Bigger surprise was next day. The Pakistani foreign minister was scheduled to arrive at Delhi's Women Press Corps for an interaction and he did turn up.

But when the then EAM Pranab Mukherjee got the news, he was furious. Qureshi in no time received an 'angry' phone call from Pranab Da and after the brief tele chat in a secluded corner, Qureshi and other members of the visiting Pakistani delegation flew back to Islamabad. So that's Qureshi !

On the hind side, one can possibly say Imran's promise of a 'Naya Pakistan' could not be achieved with some well hardliners and controversial figures in his cabinet.

Among the names included 'hardliner' Shireen Mazari, who once advocated nuclear strikes against India. 

Qureshi served as the Minister for Foreign Affairs under Musharraf from 2008 to 2011.

Paradoxically, Imran Khan could not do much about improving Indo-Pak relations also despite the famous cricket star once telling that in order to improve relations with India he would be keen to take "two steps in return of one" from the dispensation in Delhi. 

In India, of course both the foreign ministry and the BJP leaders were guarded and did not display much enthusiasm when they were asked to comment on installation of the Imran Khan-led regime in 2018.

Within months of installation of the Imran Khan regime, there was Pulwama terror strike and this was responded by aerial strike by Indian Air Force. 

On Sept 20, 2018, MEA spsokesman Raveesh Kumar had said: "I can confirm that on the request of the Pakistani side a meeting between External Affairs Minister and Pakistani Foreign Minister will take place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly at a mutually convenient date and time".

However, the meeting was cancelled by India two days later.

New Delhi cancelled the meeting claiming that the killing of three Jammu and Kashmir policemen and the release of stamps commemorating Burhan Wani showed the “true face” of Prime Minister Imran Khan.