After earning a degree in law from the Cambridge University, his career in the national politics started in 1993 under Prime minister Benazir Bhutto and successfully defended his constituency with high margins that led him to the slot of foreign ministry in 2008. He was appointed foreign minister by the PPP led collective leadership alliance containing the MQM, ANP and JUI-F formed after the 2008 general elections. However in February 2011, Qureshi fell out with the central committee that led to his ouster by Prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani, and by November 2011, Qureshi joined Imran Khan's populist Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Shah Mehmood Qureshi is also the current Sajjada Nashin and custodian of the Mausoleum of Shah Rukn-e-Alam[4] and of the Shrine (Darbar) of Hazrat Baha-ud-din Zakariya. An agriculturalist by trade, Qureshi is also the president of the Farmers Association of Pakistan.
Early life
Family
Qureshi hails from a prominent religious and political family from Multan.He is married and has 3 children.He is the eldest son of Makhdoom Sajjad Hussain Qureshi. Sajjad Qureshi was a Sajjada Nashin for Mausoleum of Shah Rukn-e-Alam and the Darbar of Hazrat Baha-ud-din Zakariya.[6] The elder Qureshi was also a prominent politician of the Pakistan People's Party under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in the 1970s. Following the removal and hanging of Bhutto, Sajjad Hussain supported the presidency of General Zia-ul-Haq and served as the Governor of Punjab from December 1985 to December 1988 under Zia.
Education
Qureshi received his early education from Aitchison College, Lahore. He received a Bachelor's degree in History from Forman Christian College. Qureshi also received a Master's degree in Law and Politics from University of Cambridge,(England).
Political career
Qureshi was first elected to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab from Multan in 1985, which were held on a non-party basis. He joined the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) under the leadership of Muhammad Khan Junejo in 1986.
He joined the faction of PML led by Nawaz Sharif, which later became PML (N), when PML split in 1988 after the death of Zia-ul-Haq. He was re-elected to the Punjab Assembly from Multan in 1988. He served as the Minister of Planning and Development in the cabinet of Chief Minister Nawaz Sharif from November 1988 to August 1990.
Qureshi served as the Minister of Finance in Chief Minister Nawaz Sharif's cabinet from 1990–1993.Qureshi parted ways with Nawaz Sharif in 1993 and joined the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) in 1993 under the leadership of Benazir Bhutto. He was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan from Multan in the general elections of 1993, and served as the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs under Prime Minister Bhutto. Qureshi was defeated in the Pakistani general election, 1997 general election by Makhdoom Javed Hashmi.
Qureshi served as the District Nazim of Multan from 2000 to 2002.[9] He won subsequent elections to the National Assembly from Multan in 2002 and 2008 as a member of the PPP. Benazir Bhutto made Qureshi the President of PPP in Punjab in 2006.
Following the general election of 2008, Qureshi was a potential candidate for the Prime Minister of Pakistan in the coalition government headed by the PPP. However, given his political history prior to joining the PPP,[9] Qureshi was instead given the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani. He lost the portfolio of Foreign Minister in February 2011, following the Raymond Davis affair. Qureshi opposed the PPP's pact with PML-Q, since he believed PML-Q to be indirectly involved in the killing of Benazir Bhutto.
Qureshi resigned from the PPP, as well as his National Assembly membership, in November 2011.[10] He has been in contact with both Pakistan Muslim League (N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to join one of these parties.[11] In a TV talk show Imran Khan confirmed that Shah Mehmood Qureshi would join the PTI rally on 27 November 2011 at Ghotki.
Minister of Foreign Affairs (2008–2011)
After taking charge of the office, Qureshi immediately made clear that he was committed to establishing peace in the region and that maintaining friendly ties with neighbouring India were amongst his top priorities.[12] Qureshi went on his first visit as foreign minister to China in October 2008 with Ahmad Mukhtar and President Asif Ali Zardari. On his arrival back, he was given praise for his work. Qureshi has visited many countries as Foreign Minister and has been very busy explaining Pakistan's stance on the war on terror to the foreign world.
In 2009, Shah Mehmood Qureshi faced criticism in Pakistan when it was discovered that his son, Zain H. Qureshi, was working as a Legislative Fellow in the office of Sen. John Kerry
In February 2011, the Government of Pakistan reduced the number of cabinet seats. During this transition, Shah Mahmood Qureshi was offered the position of Minister of Water and Power. He declined, saying that he was "not interested in water and power ministry in place of foreign affairs."
Joining Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf
Following the Raymond Allen Davis incident where US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agent was released without charge for murdering two men in Lahore, Shah Mehmood Qureshi was appointed to another ministry due to which he subsequently resigned as Federal Minister of Pakistan. On 27 November 2011 Qureshi announced his joining of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in a rally in Ghotki, Sindh. He was appointed Vice Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and member of the political strategy committee. He is considered as one of the top national politician not only in the party but as well as outside the party. He stated that the cause behind joining PTI was to bring about a revolution in Pakistan.
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