MULTAN: Veteran politician Javed Hashmi has announced that in case he is arrested, he won’t seek bail, even if it means staying behind bars for the rest of his life.

“No one can pressurise me,” he said on Tuesday, replying to a question about reports of an FIR (No 647/20) lodged against him with the Multan Cantonment police for “defaming institutions”.

He was talking to the media after attending the funeral prayers for former MNA Malik Liaqat Dogar. “I will live and die in jail but will not apply for bail. They know I never asked for any facilities when I was in jail (in the past),” he said.

The veteran politician said he never criticised institutions.

“I did not say anything wrong. I have been saying the same things since long and it is good [if the FIR is lodged]...they should tell the nation.”

“I ask (for) the truth and they (want to) send me to jail. Let them go ahead. What can I do?” he said.

“If they will put me in jail, it will become more interesting. I will spend (the rest of) my life in jail and will write books.”

City Police Officer Hassan Raza Khan was not available for his comment despite several attempts by this scribe. The Cantonment police station staff was also not ready to speak on the issue.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2020