Javed Hashmi to join PTI? Announcement tomorrow
Published: December 24, 2011
Javed Hashmi says an announcement will be made on Saturday. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) supporters may have to wait till Saturday for news whether Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) stalwart Makhdoom Javed Hashmi would cross over after a meeting between senior party leaders ended late on Friday with neither confirmations, nor denials, Express News reported on Friday.
Hashmi had been ferried off by PML-N members from a public event to Khwaja Saad Rafique’s residence for consultations. Ahsan Iqbal, Parvaiz Rasheed, other PML-N members were waiting for him there.
Javed Hashmi, and PTI chairman Imran Khan in separate statements had remained tight lipped about Hashmi’s future, that any announcement to come on Saturday, December 24.
Hashmi earlier in the night said that this was a time for the nation to stand united. When questioned over rumours about his switch, he said “I have heard these rumours too.”
Imran Khan, speaking to Express News in Karachi said that “you will hear good news tomorrow.”
Late on Friday night, Ahsan Iqbal, told media after an hour long meeting concluded at Saad Rafique’s house, that “he [Hashmi] is a big asset for the party, and that we will not allow any big news to be created.”
He urged the media from speculating, “Please do not run any story until he [Hashmi] himself issues a statement.”
Saad Rafique too sidestepped the Hashmi question saying “I had invited PML-N leaders to a commemorative meeting in honour of my late father, and naturally there were talks on politics.”
However, Rafique went on a tangent, “some members, including myself, had reservations and believed that PML-N should quit the Parliament and start an agitation movement against the government.”
He added that there was enough freedom in his party to openly discuss the matter and ultimately many members had voiced their opposition to the resignation option since it may be a suicide attack on democracy.
When pressed over Javed Hashmi’s alleged defection to PTI, he said that if any member had reservations, they would talk it out.
Parvaiz Malik, Parvaiz Rashid, Marvi Memon were also reported to have been present at the meeting.