LAHORE - Senior PML-N leader, Javed Hashmi’s joining the ranks of PTI alongwith several party men mainly belonging to South Punjab still remains a big question mark. While at the same time no clear stance has come from Hashmi himself regarding the reports of joining the PTI alongwith several PML-N leaders.
However, the PTI sources talking to The Nation on Friday claimed that chances of PML-N stalwart joining the PTI alongwith his loyalists were ‘50-50’.
When contacted some senior PTI leaders to comment on the issue ‘off the record’ they prefer to keep mum over the issue, saying that they don’t want to repeat the mistake of Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s inclusion case and could not utter a word on the issue.
At the same time PML-N insiders were optimistic that they would convince Hashmi by addressing his reservations sincerely and they would not let the party asset like Javed Hashmi to part ways with PML-N.
Javed Hashmi who steered the PML-N as it acting President during the absence of party’s high command when in exile, would be a big set back for the PML-N if he joined Imran Khan on December 25th in PTI’s public moot at Karachi alongwith heavyweights of South Punjab.
According to sources, Javed Hashmi was brought to the house of another PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique by Khawaja Asif after unconfirmed reports of the possibility of Hashmi’s joining the PTI.
PML-N leaders including Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Saad Rafique and Zaeem Qadri were present in the meeting believed to be the camp members of Javed Hashmi. PML-N leaders including Pervaiz Malik, Tehmina Daultana and Khawaja Asif tried to woo Hashmi by assuring him of addressing his reservations at the earliest.
Talking to the media outside the residence of Khawaja Saad Rafique, Ahsan Iqbal said that Javed Hashmi was an asset for the party and no speculation should be made for a leader like Hashmi. He stated that Hashmi has not only rendered sacrifices for the PML-N but also for the cause of democracy.
Khawaja Saad Rafique on this occasion said that Javed Hashmi might have some differences with the party leadership but it didn’t mean that he was parting ways with the PML-N.
Rejecting the reports of leaving the party regarding himself and other party leaders, Saad said that neither he nor Zaeem Qadri or Tehmina Daultana were parting ways with PML-N, adding, that despite all the differences they would remain part of the PML-N.
However, none of the PML-N leaders have given details of the talks that took place with senior PML-N leader of Multan.
Meanwhile, sources close to Hashmi maintained that Kulsoom Nawaz has also contacted Javed Hashmi to convince him but he politely refused to make a truce with the party leadership at the moment.