ISLAMABAD; Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) General Secretary Suleman Akram Raja has stated that it is too early to suggest that senior party leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi will assume leadership of the party, as he continues to face multiple legal challenges. Speaking to reporters outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Raja clarified that Qureshi is still implicated in five to six active cases and has yet to be released from jail.
Raja emphasized that despite changes in the political landscape, PTI continues to be the target of what he termed as “fascist” repression. “No one is exempt from this wave of political victimization. People should not draw premature conclusions about party leadership,” he added.
He also criticized the ongoing role of certain “planners” who, according to him, are manipulating both the judiciary and the wider political system. “What is happening to the justice system is in plain sight. This is no longer just a PTI issue—it concerns the entire nation,” he stated, arguing that the judicial process has been reduced to a tool of suppression rather than justice.
Raja remarked that resilient and self-respecting nations do not remain silent in the face of injustice. “We’ll now see how the people of Pakistan respond to this situation,” he concluded.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi, a former Foreign Minister and senior PTI figure, was arrested in connection with multiple cases, including those related to the May 9 riots. His continued detention has fueled speculation about PTI’s future leadership.
