The Latest from Mr. Moeen Qureshi

By Ali Ashraf Khan, DHA, Karachi

Mr. Moeen Qureshi’s recent press conference in Islamabad (Nov.5, 2000) is a complete turn about of what he has been reported to be saying so far. In his first utterance in his address to the Reformers at Karachi on Nov. 27, he had advised inter alia the scrapping of the blasphemy law, signing of CTBT, seeking long-term loans from IMF to avoid default, taking measures to repair Pakistan’s relations and image with the USA and the West, and ridding ourselves of the stigma of fundamentalism and terrorism.

In his latest press conference Mr. Moeen Qureshi’s advice to Pakistan is: we should not rely on the USA. They are most unreliable and the establishment of Bangladesh has proved this fact when the US stood watching the scene in spite of an agreement to come to the rescue of their ally in a time of crisis. That did not happen in 1971, and on the face of it the advice appears to be most un-Moeen Qureshi like.

He has also stated that his company Emerging Markets has invested fifteen crore dollars ($ 150 million.) in India. Why did this son of Pakistan ignore his own soil whose green passport he carries so proudly? Does he intend to invest some money from his own company Emerging Markets in Pakistan also?

He has mentioned establishing a Shariya Fund (Religious Fund.) of $ 1.5 billion with the help of Saudi Prince Mohammed, Islamic Development Fund and the rulers of Brunei. What would be the fund’s program?