Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi (born 22 June 1956) is a Pakistani politician who has twice served as the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, first from 2008 to 2011 and later from 2018 to 2022. He has served as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)'s Vice Chairman since 2011. Qureshi has had an extensive parliamentary career, serving five non-consecutive terms as a Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan between 1993 and 2022, representing Multan. He previously served as a Member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab for three consecutive terms from 1985 to 1993.
Born in Multan, Punjab, Qureshi received his early education at Aitchison College. He later obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Forman Christian College and a Master of Arts degree from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He entered provincial politics in 1985 and remained a member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab for nine years. During this period, he held various ministerial portfolios in the Punjab provincial cabinet between 1988 and 1993.
Qureshi entered federal politics in the 1990s and served as the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs from 1993 to 1996. He later served as the Mayor of Multan from 2000 to 2002 before returning to parliamentary politics. He was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan from Multan in 2002, 2008, 2013, and 2018.
In 2008, Qureshi was appointed Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs in the government of Yousaf Raza Gillani, serving until 2011. He joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in 2011 and was appointed as the party's Vice Chairman. Following the 2018 Pakistani general election, he again became Foreign Minister in the government of Imran Khan, serving from 2018 until 2022.
Qureshi was elected as a Member of the National Assembly in the 2018 Pakistani general election and resigned from his seat on 10 April 2022 during the political crisis surrounding the removal of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
In July 2025, Qureshi was acquitted by an Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore in a case related to the May 9 riots that followed the arrest of Imran Khan. The court cited insufficient evidence while clearing Qureshi and several other accused individuals. The case remained politically controversial, with opposition parties alleging political victimisation, while government authorities maintained that the proceedings were conducted according to law.
Qureshi remains one of the senior-most leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Following subsequent political developments, he has been regarded as one of the leading contenders for the office of Chief Minister of Punjab if PTI forms the provincial government.
Qureshi was born on 22 June 1956 in Multan, Punjab to a wealthy, political and prominent Makhdoom Qureshi family. His family is of saintly lineage and caretakers of the Shrine of Bahauddin Zakariya in Multan, which provides the family with substantial income, as well votes during the elections. However, in 2014, he rejected the claims saying "I have never used religion for political gain. I have never dragged devotees of Sufi saints in political matters, and those who vote for me do it of their free will." after his brother accused Qureshi was using the names of Sufi saints for political gains and Qureshi using donations for the PTI.
Qureshi is fluent in Urdu, English, Punjabi and Saraiki. Qureshi's father Makhdoom Sajjad Hussain Qureshi was former member of Senate of Pakistan and 15th Governor of the Punjab from 1985 to 1988 and was close friend of then President of Pakistan Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq who appointed him as governor of Punjab. Qureshi received his early education from Aitchison College, Lahore, a bachelor's from Forman Christian College and received MA (Law) and MA (History) degree from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He also holds a B.A. degree from University
Qureshi is married and he is a father of one son, named Zain Hussain Qureshi and two daughters. Qureshi is an agriculturalist and was the president of the Farmers Association of Pakistan.
Qureshi was elected for the first time to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab from Multan in the 1985 Pakistani general election which were held on a non-party basis during the military government of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. He joined the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) in 1986.
Qureshi later joined the faction of PML led by Nawaz Sharif, which would later become PML (N). When PML split in 1988 after the death of Zia-ul-Haq, and was re-elected for the second time to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab from Multan in the 1988 Pakistani general election and served as the Minister of Planning and Development in the provincial cabinet of Punjab of then Chief Minister of Punjab Nawaz Sharif from November 1988 to August 1990.
Qureshi was re-elected for the third time to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab from Multan as a candidate of PML N in the 1990 Pakistani general election and served as the Minister of Finance in Chief Minister Manzoor Wattoo's provincial cabinet of Punjab from 1990 to 1993.
In 1993 he joined the Pakistan People's Party. Qureshi was elected for the first time to the National Assembly of Pakistan from Multan as a candidate of PPP in the 1993 Pakistani general election. He was appointed Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs under then Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto ministry. In November 1996, he was appointed the spokesman of PPP.
Qureshi was defeated in the 1997 Pakistani general election by Makhdoom Javed Hashmi of PML-N. He was offered a position in the Council of Economic Advisers to then President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf, which he refused.
Qureshi served as the District Nazim (mayor) of Multan from 2000 to 2002. During his mayor period, he well administered the Multan district and oversaw a number of development projects.
He was re-elected for the second time to the National Assembly of Pakistan from Multan in the 2002 Pakistani general election on PPP seat and defeated Makhdoom Javed Hashmi. Reportedly, he used his influence as a mayor of Multan to win the 2002 elections. In 2006, Benazir Bhutto appointed Qureshi as the President of Pakistan Peoples Party Punjab to revive the popularity of PPP in southern Punjab given his good experience. Reportedly, Qureshi slapped an officer for beating a party activist of PPP in 2006.
He was re-elected for the third time to the National Assembly of Pakistan from Multan in the 2008 Pakistani general election.