LAHORE: Senior politician Makhdoom Javed Hashmi announced his withdrawal from the NA-149 election and the launch of a movement for the release of Imran Khan, the former prime minister who is currently facing corruption and treason charges.

Addressing a press conference at his residence on Monday, Hashmi said he had always supported anyone who fought against the establishment. He said he had backed Nawaz Sharif when he was excluded from the 2018 election by the establishment, which had allegedly supported Imran and his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Hashmi, who was once president of PTI, said he had left the party in 2014 after disagreeing with Khan’s decision to stage a sit-in in Islamabad against the elected government of Sharif. He said he had rejoined the PML-N in 2018 after reconciling his differences with the Sharifs.

Hashmi accused the establishment of being responsible for the country’s economic and political woes, and said no establishment could make the country and nation prosperous. He said Imran was now standing in front of the establishment, and that was why he was supporting him.

Hashmi said Nawaz had compromised principles for power. He said Jahangir Tareen, a former PTI leader, was not a politician. He said it would have been better if Sheikh Tariq Rasheed or any other Muslim League candidate was given the ticket for NA-149.

He said he was a Muslim League member and would remain a Muslim Leaguer till he died. He hoped that the people of Pakistan would support his cause and stand with him.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2024