Senior leader of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf Javed Hashmi. – File Photo

LAHORE: Veteran politician Javed Hashmi has been made president of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf.

This was announced by PTI chairman Imran Khan at a press conference here on Monday. He said the decision had been taken by the party’s central executive committee.    On the occasion, Pakistan Democratic Party of late Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan announced its decision to merge into the PTI. PDP chief Nawabzada Mansoor Ali Khan and other leaders were present at the press conference.

The announcement about Mr Hashmi’s elevation to the post of PTI president was made amid rumours that Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi was not being comfortable in the party.

Mr Khan expressed his opinion on a number of national issues. He supported the traders’ strike in Karachi in protest against extortion and said that people raising their voice against extortion in Karachi should be supported.

He accused the PPP and PML-N striking a deal for fear of the PTI and said it was evident during Senate elections.

Replying to a question about Nato supplies, he said the supply route must not be reopened. Rather the government should decide to come out of the war on terror, which had damaged the country.

On allegations that the PTI was getting support of the masses because of outgoing ISI chief Shuja Pasha, he said if that was the case, people would have stopped supporting the PTI after the retirement of the general.

He said the ISI had played its role in the 2002 polls, adding that his party had been approached by the secret agency but “we refused the offer”.

Mr Khan lashed out at Maulana Fazlur Rahman and said the JUI-F chief had a history of siding with every government and enjoying perks and privileges of being in the government. He said Maulana Fazl was a supporter of the status quo in order to avert accountability. He told a questioner he would quit politics, if anyone proved that he had taken even a single penny for his politics.

He said the nation must be informed about people who were doing politics with taxpayers’ money.