MULTAN / KARACHI: Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Javed Hashmi announced joining Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday during a press conference in Karachi. He had earlier made the announcement at the Multan airport while going to Karachi.

PTI chairman Imran Khan went to Karachi airport to greet Hashmi on his arrival. Later during the press conference, Hashmi, accompanied by Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Khan, announced his affiliation with the party.

Addressing the conference, Hashmi said that it was an era of “demise of accountability” in the country and he had joined the party to save Pakistan from the current turmoil it is facing. “People come, loot the country and leave, and nobody asks them anything,” he added.

He also said that he had seen Khan’s determination who had been struggling since 15 years after joining politics. “Now, Imran Khan is the champion of politics.”

Khan, while welcoming Hashmi to the party, said that there were no conditions on Hashmi to join the party. “We want a new Pakistan and we want to add people in our party who will help us with our goal. Hashmi comes up to that standard.”

The PTI chief added that Hashmi was with him in the opposition against the military dictator and he was one of those politicians who would keep their problems aside to take a stand on important issues. He also expressed that it was a joyous day for not only his party, but also for him.

After Hashmi’s announcement, three strong constituencies of Multan with NA-148 of Shah Mehmood, NA-149 of Hashmi and NA-151 of Sikandar Bosan have become a part of the PTI. Mehmood has also assured to win the NA-150 for the PTI.

MPA Shahid Mehmood Khan from Hashmi’s constituency also announced to join the PTI, immediately after Hashmi announced his final decision.

Hashmi, a remarkably popular figure, won three National Assembly seats in 2008 from Rawalpindi, Lahore and Multan. He eventually vacated two of those seats and kept NA-149, representing his native Multan. He is the third politician from Multan to join the PTI, first being Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi – Hashmi’s hometown political rival, and second was Sikandar Bosan.

Hashmi had earlier shown reservations over Chaudhry Nisar’s appointment as the parliamentary leader of the PML-N and it is believed that Hashmi had given his party an ultimatum that if his son-in-law Zahid Bihar Hashmi was not given a party ticket, he would join the PTI.

Hashmi faces opposition from party members over decision

Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah snubbed Hashmi’s switch from PML-N to PTI and said that the move was “stupid” on the behalf of Hashmi and he was “high jacked” by the establishment into joining the party.

“He had personal reservations… and you cannot have everything done according to your will in a huge party,” Sanaullah said.

PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal also expressed reservations on Hashmi’s decision. “Keeping in view Pakistan’s current situation, Hashmi’s departure from the party comes as a shock,” he told reporters.

Another PML-N leader Khwaja Saad Rafiq, while talking to a gathering in Lahore, expressed his grief and said that he had been trying to stop Hashmi from leaving the party since last night but to no avail.

Several PML-N members rallied at the Hussain Agahi Chowk in Multan, under provincial minister Ahsanuddin Qureshi. The members resorted to aerial firing, while Qureshi claimed that Hashmi never did anything good for the party and his departure was a good riddance.

Another rally was taken out at Nawa Shaher Chowk in the city where party workers claimed that Hashmi had high jacked the party and was giving out party positions to his favourite people.

Earlier during the day, when Hashmi was on his way to the Multan airport, several PML-N workers lied in front of his car at his residence to oppose his decision to join the PTI. Senator Pervez Rasheed, spokesperson Punjab government, told the media that the party had a 5-6 hour long meeting with Hashmi on the matter, forcing him to stay in the PML-N.

Sources told The Express Tribune that Hashmi was not taking calls from the executive leadership of the PML-N which was to arrive in Multan at 11am, under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, in attempts to convince Hashmi not to join the PTI. They added that Hashmi will also formally announce to join the party on December 25 during the PTI rally in Karachi. Fifteen more MNAs and around 25 MPAs from the PML-N are also said to be joining the PTI during the next two weeks.

Talking to media at the Multan airport, Hashmi had said that he decided to join the PTI because he believes that its agenda is for the betterment of Pakistan. He said that it was his personal decision to join the PTI and he will not compel anyone else to do the same but will welcome all those who follow his decision.