Meet Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pakistan PM candidate standing against Shehbaz Sharif

As Pakistan remains in a crucial political dilemma after Imran Khan was ousted by the national assembly, the top choices for the Prime Minister post have filed their nominations in the parliament, with their fate set to be decided today.

The top contenders for Pakistan PM are Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party’s Vice-President Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, who is the brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

After Imran Khan was ousted through the no-trust motion, Shah Mahmood Qureshi filed his nomination for the post of Pakistan PM. Backed by political leaders Amir Dogar and Maleeka Bokhari, Qureshi’s nomination became a crucial decision in the Pakistan national assembly yesterday.

Announcing the nomination of both the candidates, the National Assembly tweeted, “Nomination papers of Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif and Shah Mehmood Qureshi for the election of Leader of the House/Prime Minister accepted. Nomination papers were scrutinized. After scrutiny, nomination papers of both the candidates were accepted.”

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Here’s all you need to know about Shah Mahmood Qureshi-

Shah Mahmood Qureshi served as the foreign minister of Pakistan under the Imran Khan government. He remained on the post for a total of two terms – from 2008 to 2011 and from 2018 to 2022. Coming from a wealthy family in Multan, Qureshi remains one of the most influential faces in Pakistani politics.

Qureshi, who holds a high education portfolio, graduated from the Aitchison College in Lahore, and then went on to pursue higher studies at Cambridge University. He later got his Master’s degree from Corpus Christi College, pursuing History.

The PTI was elected as a member of the Punjab Assembly from his hometown of Multan, shortly after beginning his political career. Qureshi joined the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) under the guidance of former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif.

Joining the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) in 1993, Qureshi started serving as the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs under Benazir Bhutto’s cabinet. He was also considered for the post of Pakistan’s PM in 2008 but was later appointed the Foreign Minister.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi later got dropped from the PPP cabinet and decided to join the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 2011, rising through the ranks and being appointed the Foreign Minister once again, in the cabinet of PM Imran Khan.

Though it is being speculated that Shehbaz Sharif will become the next Prime Minister of Pakistan in today’s parliamentary session, it is expected that Shah Mahmood Qureshi will give the PML leader a tough competition.