FOR some days now, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan has been facing tough questions about the politicians he has been welcoming into his party. The pro-democracy credentials of many have been questioned. Others, analysts argue, were those who no longer had hopes of being awarded tickets by their parties, including PML-Q politicians left out in the cold after their party's alliance with the PPP. But this changed on Saturday, when veteran PML-N politician Javed Hashmi announced that he was joining hands with Mr Khan. In terms of credibility, Mr Hashmi is PTI's biggest catch thus far, a politician in a qualitatively different league than those who have joined the party before him. A man jailed by Gen Musharraf for speaking out against the military dispensation while acting president of the PML-N, his pro-democracy credentials are undisputed. His ability to attract votes has also long been demonstrated, especially in 2008 when he won National Assembly seats not just from his home base of Multan but also from Lahore and Rawalpindi.

The implications for the PML-N are significant. At risk now are Mr Hashmi's loyalists, MNAs and MPAs among them. He also takes with him an important constituency in southern Punjab. The turn of events is a wake-up call for parties not to take dedicated workers for granted, especially in the face of an increasingly appealing alternative. Despite having stood up for his party's position in the face of a military dispensation, Mr Hashmi was reportedly sidelined after the Sharif brothers' return from exile due to his independent views on several issues as well as internal rifts within the PML-N. By failing to move beyond family alliances and finding a way to accommodate an outspoken but widely respected voice, the party has lost more than just the votes he would have bagged for them.