Former senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Makhdoom Javed Hashmi on Saturday formally announced to join the Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaaf (PTI). Hashmi announced his decision in a press conference that was also attended by PTI Chairman Imran Khan, Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Jahangir Tareen, Dr Arif Alvi and others. Imran Khan warmly welcomed Hashmi’s move to join the PTI, saying with the cooperation of Javed Hashmi and Shah Mehmood Qureshi, PTI’s journey had become easy. “Javed Hashmi demands nothing; he has joined the PTI only after becoming inspired by its stance. The movement will benefit from Hashmi’s experience,” he added.
Imran said he and Javed Hashmi joined hands in parliament against a military dictator. “Shah Mehmood Qureshi gave a boost to the party and after Hashmi’s joining, the tsunami of the party has become stronger. We have to change the system.” Imran said a revolution was in the offing in Pakistan. “A sign of that revolution is that people have started to join a political party that does not even a have a single seat in parliament. Politics of self interest are going to end. These people can go and join any party but they left power for their stance. Nobody came to join our party over differences with their parties, but they came to join us because of their point of view.” To a query about any “secret hand” backing his party, Imran said that “secret hand” was of Allah’s.
Speaking on the occasion, Hashmi said Imran has taken a stand about his politics for 15 years. “Imran Khan was my favorite cricketer and now he has become a champion of politics in this country. He came to meet me when I was in the jail. With the passage of time our points of view regarding politics became similar. I spoke in the National Assembly for the first time in 1993 regarding declaration of assets of politicians,” he said.
Hashmi said when Imran “came to meet me, he said he had not come for any personal motive, but for Pakistan. I promised to think and consult. Since a year, I was observing the situation of the country. It was my desire t see a change. I was not annoyed with the [former] party. I accompanied Nawaz Sharif in Larkana. When we returned to Lahore, he first offered me to sit in the car before him. There is no issue between me and the PML-N. I am only saying that PTI’s momentum to bring a change in the country in much stronger compared to other parties”. Hashmi said PTI workers had been at the forefront of the movement for judiciary’s restoration. “I consulted my friends, informed party workers about my decision. My colleagues touched my feet asking me not to leave the party. I respect their sentiments, but we have to take a decision for a bigger purpose.” “To achieve that target I have decided to join the PTI. We will fight a war of principles. We need to protect Pakistan from the incompetent and looters. We have no vested interest, nor a desire to expand any business,” Hashmi added. To a question, he said he had no differences with Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi also welcomed Javed Hashmi in the party. He said those joining the PTI were not thinking about their personal interests, but for a bigger cause of a strong and prosperous Pakistan. Talking to reporters at Karachi airport earlier, Hashmi said only time would tell if the PTI was a party of the establishment.
Hashmi said his daughter Memoona Hashmi would also resign from parliament, while an MPA of his area, Shahid Mehmood, would also resign from his assembly membership. In Multan, PML-N workers led by provincial minister for Auqaf held a protest demonstration at Hussain Aghahi Chowk against Hashmi’s decision and expressed strong resentment to the move.
Hamza Shahbaz Sharif said it was Hashmi’s personal decision and the PML-N, being a popular party of the masses, would not be affected by someone’s leaving.
Meanwhile, sources said senior PML-N leader and former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Sardar Mehtab Khan Abbasi was also in line to join the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf in the next few days.
In a related development, PPP’s former information minister Khalid Kharal, one of the founder members of the party, is all set to join the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), as he had had expressed inability to join the meeting of the PPP Federal Council in Naudero on December 27.
HASHMI JOINS PTI
