Hashmi ends jail trial boycott

Published February 21, 2004

ISLAMABAD, Feb 20: Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy President Makhdoom Javed Hashmi has decided to end his boycott of the jail trial in a treason case, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) sources told Dawn on Friday.

Mr Hashmi, who is the acting president of the PML-N, met his family members at the Adiala Jail on Friday and told them that he had decided to take part in the court's proceedings on the directives of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

According to sources, Mr Hashmi said PML-N Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq and Mr Sharif had advised him to take part in the proceedings to bring the facts on the record. Mr Hashmi's lawyers would appear before the judge on Saturday, they said.

They said Mr Hashmi believed that the government had made up its mind to convict him in the case. They said he was determined to fight against the "military dictatorship".

Talking his daughter MNA Maimoona Hashmi and other family members, he said military rulers were incapable of resolving the country's problems as they only wanted to acquire personal gains and prolong their rule.

He said that when Mr Sharif had initiated a peace process with India, the military had opposed the idea but now it was "begging" for having good relations with New Delhi.

He said the rulers were holding talks with India due to foreign pressure. He said those people were responsible for nuclear proliferation whose job was to defend the country and its nuclear programme.

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