ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Zain Qureshi stated on Monday that he had gone underground on the orders of his father, senior party leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi, dismissing reports of government coercion regarding his political stance.
In a video statement, Zain refuted claims that he supported the recent constitutional amendments in the National Assembly, calling such reports “baseless propaganda.”
He explained that he had been summoned to Lahore by his father, who is currently imprisoned in another case, and asserted his opposition to the constitutional amendment.
“Misleading propaganda is being spread against me regarding my support for the constitutional amendment,” he asserted, adding that he would leave politics if it were proven that he met with a government official. “I stand by party policy and PTI founder,” he affirmed.
Zain’s sister, Meher Bano Qureshi, expressed concern over her brother’s disappearance on social media, stating that the family had lost contact with him since October 16. She indicated her fear that he might have been abducted, describing the pressures the family has faced over the past year as attempts to undermine their principles and ideology.
“For 15 months, they have not been able to break my father, our Naib Kaptaan. We will stand for our leader, Imran Khan, and for my father’s sacrifices,” Zain stated in his video.
In response to questions about why his family did not raise concerns earlier, Meher Bano clarified that they believed Zain was following their father’s explicit instructions to go underground on the day of the legislation. However, the family’s anxiety increased when they heard rumors about his safety due to his lack of communication.
Meanwhile, PTI leader Asad Qaiser confirmed that Zain did not vote in favor of the contentious amendments, acknowledging his father’s sacrifices for the party.
Contrarily, PTI lawmaker Sher Afzal Marwat indicated that evidence could be leaning against Zain, hinting at potential support for the amendments.
He also recalled that Zain’s wife was taken shortly before, noting that Meher Bano had quickly posted about that incident, raising questions about her silence regarding her brother’s disappearance.
Marwat mentioned that Zain had reportedly been offered a significant sum of money to vote in favor of the legal reforms, claiming that “Rs1 billion has been offered to everyone.”
