KARACHI - Veteran leader Makhdoom Javed Hashmi on Saturday parted ways with the PML-N after 24-year-long dedicated relationship and joined Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the new emerging political force in the country.
Javed Hashmi, who arrived here Saturday morning from Multan, was received by PTI Chief Imran Khan at Jinnah International Airport. The two leaders along with PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi addressed a joint press conference.
Speaking to journalists, Javed Hashmi said he had not made the decision to join the PTI in haste. He said the time has come for the emergence of parties that do not need the establishment’s support. In the past, every party condemned the establishment but they eventually ended up asking for their help. The veteran politician reiterated that he had no conflict with his former party’s leadership, and that he still held in high esteem Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who is like brother and dear friend to him.
Makhdoom Hashmi admitted that Khan was his favourite cricketer but now he is a star politician as well. He said watching the deteriorating condition of the country for the past one year he decided it was the right time to join a party working vigorously to bring a positive change in the country.
Answering a question, the new PTI leader said he and Khan shared the same vision of a new Pakistan - free of corruption. Hashmi said that Khan asked him to join PTI for the sake of Pakistan and not the party.
Hashmi also announced that his daughter Maimoona Hashmi was also resigning from her National Assembly membership.
Welcoming Javed Hashmi to his party, Imran Khan said the veteran politician has not placed any conditions on joining the PTI. “This is an ideological revolution that he has joined.”
Khan had told Hashmi, ‘Pakistan needs you,’ and that is why he joined PTI to work together to safeguard the national interests and to make it a corruption-free state.
Khan said he knew Hashmi since he was sent to jail during the dictator’s rule due to his strong principles. He said it was Hashmi‘s stand on his principles that made him fit for the PTI. He said that after the joining of Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Javed Hashmi, PTI’s tsunami has gained momentum.
Khan said that we have united to achieve our common goal of stronger and safer Pakistan and to safeguard the national interests. He said that no deal was made with Hashmi and he has joined PTI unconditionally.
The PTI chief said Hashmi has brought his rich experience along to help achieve party goals and only time will tell that his decision to join PTI was right.
Earlier, when Hashmi left Multan for Karachi some PML-N workers blocked his way and asked him not to quit the party with which he had spent so much time. However, Hashmi said he had taken the decision in the larger national interest.