Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Monday said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Jahangir Tareen's presence in official meetings gives the opposition something to talk about.
Responding to a question during a press conference in Lahore earlier today, Qureshi criticised the leader's attendance in government and PTI meetings. "I will ask Tareen to think, whenever you sit in official meetings Marriyum Aurangzeb gets a chance to hold press conferences," he remarked.
"The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz raises questions that whether this is contempt of court. When 62 (1)(f) is imposed on Nawaz Sharif we say he cannot hold any government or party position. If 62 (1)(f) is imposed on us, should it have a separate yardstick? The Tehreek-e-Insaf worker is mentally unable to accept this and you [Tareen] are giving an opportunity to opponents of Tehreek-e-Insaf to exploit this,” the foreign minister added.
On the issue of renaming the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Qureshi said it will not be a "politically correct" decision and will be equivalent to making a non-issue an issue.
"Changing its name will not be politically correct. The issue is not of the programme's name but work and renaming it will be equivalent to making an issue out of a non-issue," he remarked.
"Pakistan Peoples Party's future cannot be seen in Punjab and ahead of the elections, no one expected the party to form the government in the province.
"What Bilawal is about to do will cause damage. PPP cannot be successful without getting rid of its declining faces."
No one can stop me from serving Pakistan: Tareen
PTI leader Jahangir Tareen, responding to Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi's remarks that his presence in official meetings gives the opposition something to talk about, said "no one can stop him from serving Pakistan."
"Serving Pakistan is my right. No one including Shah Mehmood Qureshi can take that right away from me.
"Wherever I go, I go [as per] the wishes of Prime Minister Imran Khan. I am answerable to only Prime Minister Imran Khan in political matters," Tareen added.
