MULTAN: Veteran politician Javed Hashmi says he will not contest elections after the PML-N did not award him ticket.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Hashmi said he had already informed the party leadership that he would not contest the election; however, he submitted nomination papers for NA-155 and NA-158 on the suggestion of the party leadership.

“Nawaz Sharif has promised not to award party ticket to anyone against me. However, I informed him that I will accept the party decision regarding the award of ticket. My priority was to rejoin the PML-N rather than getting the party ticket,” he said.

Hashmi said he had also informed Governor Rafique Rajwana who wanted to field his son for NA-155 besides Shaikh Tariq Rasheed, a former PML-N MNA, that he would not come in their way if the party awarded them tickets.

Says he will continue to work for parliamentary supremacy; accuses Khan of selling tickets

“Similarly I also assured Javed Ali Shah, the last time PML-N candidate for NA-158 (formerly NA-148) , that I will not ask for party ticket.”The veteran politician said that he had won 11 NA seats in the past but he never applied for the party ticket.

Hashmi said that it was his wish to contest election against former PM Yousaf Raza Gilani from NA-158 and Shah Mehmood Qureshi from NA-156. :However, I accept the party decision as I want to work as a worker for the PML-N. I will participate in the election campaign of PML-N candidates not only in Multan but wherever I am needed,” he said. “My mission was the parliament should complete its tenure and I have succeeded in my mission. I will be on the forefront in future as well for the sake of democracy and supremacy of parliament,” he said.

Hashmi who joined the PTI before 2013 election and left it during the Islamabad sit-in, accused its chairman Imran Khan of selling tickets.

“Khan had awarded party ticket to a Patwari for Rs400 million in Rawalpindi for a provincial assembly seat against whom the NAB was investigating different cases. When I told Khan that he (Patwari) will not be able to win the election rather he will bring a bad name to the party, Khan said he needed money to contest election.”

He said people involved in corruption are now with Imran Khan.

Answering a question, Hashmi said that he did not think that Shahbaz Sharif had opposed party ticket to him.

He had sympathy for Zaeem Qadri, saying injustice had been done in his case but he should have shown patience.

Regarding his recent interaction with the chief Justice of Pakistan in the Asghar Khan case, Hashmi said when the CJP asked him to respect institutions, “I told him that I know judiciary very well as the judges did not take action against the persons responsible for the division of the country, always supported the dictators, hanged Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and became helping hands in victimising politicians,” he said.Hashmi said he was not against accountability but it should be done across the board and not to get political gains.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2018