Dharna was Gen Shuja Pasha's brainchild, alleges Javed Hashmi

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KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) former president Javed Hashmi on Sunday said that former ISI chief Gen Shuja Pasha was the brain behind PTI’s 126-day protest in Islamabad.

Talking on DawnNews’ show ‘Doosra Rukh,’ the disgruntled PTI leader said workers had been instructed to drag Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif out of his official residence, while Tahirul Qadri’s workers had been asked to ransack the Parliament with support from PTI.

“Gen Pasha had vowed to oust Nawaz Sharif, Khawaja Asif and Chaudhry Nisar at all costs,” said Hashmi.

He went on to say that Imran Khan had been in regular contact with Gen Kayani and Gen Pasha during the protest movement.

“It was only after I had joined the PTI that I realized the mess I had gotten into,” said the former PTI president.

Suspended by his party in September 2014 following allegations against Imran Khan, Hashmi had announced his resignation from PTI's presidency and its membership soon afterwards. At that time Hashmi had said he could no longer continue being member of a party 'conspiring' to dismantle democracy in Pakistan.

Talking about the situation in Karachi, Hashmi said MQM will have to eliminate violent elements from among its ranks for a sustainable political future.

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