Amid stepped up tirade against Shah Mahmood Qureshi from leaders of the ruling Pakistan People's Party, the former Foreign Minister has said he had "no personal grievances" over his exclusion from Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's new Cabinet.
Qureshi was criticised by several PPP leaders after he skipped the swearing-in ceremony of the new Cabinet last week after finding out that he would not be reallocated the foreign affairs portfolio.
In a statement, he reaffirmed his loyalty to the PPP "with or without a ministerial post".
He said he had "no personal grievances" against the party and its leadership over his exclusion from the 22 ministers who were sworn in on Friday by President Asif Ali Zardari.
"I respect the party leadership's decision to change the Cabinet and I hold, and have always held, the interests of the country, the party and its leadership in high esteem," he said.
Qureshi also sought to link his views on immunity for US official Raymond Davis -- who was arrested in Lahore last month after he shot and killed two men -- to the PPP's "commitment to the people of Pakistan and their rights".
In a reference to the American official, he said: "It is in this regard that I confirmed certain facts pertaining to the Raymond Davis case."
He did not give details on the grounds that the case is sub-judice but said that, if he was asked by courts, he would "reiterate the facts as were presented to me by the ministry of foreign affairs".
No comments:
Post a Comment