Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi

Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi is a Pakistani politician who has held significant leadership roles within the country's legislative and executive branches. He served twice as the minister of foreign affairs, holding the position from 2008 to 2011 and again from 2018 to 2022. Since 2011, he has maintained his position as the vice-chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

Early life and education

Qureshi was born on 22 June 1956 in Multan, Punjab. He belongs to the prominent Makhdoom Qureshi family, which holds a saintly lineage and serves as the caretakers of the Shrine of Bahauddin Zakariya in Multan. His father, Makhdoom Sajjad Hussain Qureshi, was a former member of the Senate of Pakistan and served as the 15th Governor of the Punjab from 1985 to 1988. Because his father was a close friend of President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, he was appointed to the governorship during that period.

He completed his early schooling at Aitchison College in Lahore. Following this, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Forman Christian College and a B.A. degree from the University of the Punjab. He furthered his academic pursuits at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he received both an MA in Law and an MA in History.

Career

Qureshi began his political journey in the 1985 Pakistani general elections. He was elected to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab from Multan on a non-party basis. In 1986, he joined the Pakistan Muslim League (PML). After the death of Zia-ul-Haq caused the PML to split in 1988, he joined the faction led by Nawaz Sharif, which became the PML (N). He was re-elected to the Provincial Assembly in 1988 and served as the Minister of Planning and Development from November 1988 to August 1990. During the 1990 general elections, he secured a third term in the Provincial Assembly and acted as the Minister of Finance from 1990 to 1993 under Chief Minister Manzoor Wattoo.

In 1993, he transitioned to the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). He was elected to the National Assembly from Multan and served as the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs during the Benazir Bhutto ministry. Although he lost the 1997 general election to Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, he later served as the mayor of Multan between 2000 and 2002. He returned to the National Assembly in 2002 after defeating Hashmi. In 2006, Benazir Bhutto appointed him as the President of the PPP in Punjab to bolster party popularity in southern Punjab.

Qureshi served his first term as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani. He prioritized regional peace and maintained ties with India during this tenure. In February 2011, he lost the foreign affairs portfolio following the Raymond Davis affair. He resigned from the PPP in November 2011, stating that the party had become the "Zardari league" and no longer represented the leadership of Benazir Bhutto.

He joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in late November 2011. On 4 December 2011, he was appointed the first Vice Chairman of the PTI. He was re-appointed to this senior position during the 2016 intra-party elections. Qureshi served as a Member of the National Assembly from 2018 until his resignation on 10 April 2022. In July 2025, an Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore acquitted him in a case related to the May 9 riots due to a lack of evidence.

Personal life

Qureshi is married and has three children, including one son named Zain Hussain Qureshi and two daughters. He is an agriculturalist who previously served as the president of the Farmers Association of Pakistan. He is fluent in four languages: Urdu, English, Punjabi, and Saraiki.