MULTAN: Veteran politician Javed Hashmi has announced resigning as the president and member of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, in protest against what he called undemocratic attitude of its chairman, Imran Khan.

He made the announcement at a press conference here on Wednesday, flanked by local office-bearers of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

“I was summoned as the party president to appear before the party’s disciplinary committee on Oct 29. Upon that I had asked the party’s chairman to invite me at party’s Oct 10 public meeting at Multan so that I could respond to the show-cause notice (there). It is regrettable that the other day, Imran Khan, while standing on container, announced he would not invite me in Multan’s public meeting,” he told the journalists.

He said Mr Khan had adopted such ‘undemocratic’ attitude because of the people surrounding him.

“He (Imran Khan) should have listened to my point of view in front of the party workers in the public meeting so that they could know the reality,” he said, adding that now, he could not remain in a party “in which kingship is being established with the passage of time, so I announce my resignation from the basic membership and presidency of the PTI.”

He said the popularity graph of the PTI and its chairman Imran Khan was going down day by day, claiming the number of people

who attended the party’s recent show in Lahore was less than what it was at its two previous rallies in the city.

“Imran Khan should evaluate now that why his popularity was declining. It was because of hypocrites who are surrounding him (Imran) and it is an injustice to the country’s youth,” he said.

Mr Hashmi said Shah Mehmood Qureshi had violated the PTI’s policy by announcing support for an independent candidate in NA-149 by-election. He alleged that the PTI vice chairman had also promised party ticket to some 14 aspirants in the constituency for the next general election.

“I respect the party workers and Imran Khan should now understand that he has been ditched in Multan,” he said.

He said that earlier he resigned from his National Assembly seat for the sake of principles and now he was doing it again (by leaving PTI) in protest against undemocratic attitude of party chairman Imran Khan.

He said after the PML-N’s announcement of supporting him in the by-election, the Jamaat-i-Islami and Jamiat Ulma Islam would also do the same.

He thanked the PML-N local leadership, particularly Shaikh Tariq Rasheed, who withdrew his nomination in his (Hashmi’s) favour despite being a strong candidate.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd , 2014