Big blow to PML-N: Hashmi joins PTI

A veteran politician and hitherto senior vice president of PML-N, Javed Hashmi on Saturday joined Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). His decision created mixed reaction as, at the same time, it disappointed and delighted many in the country's uncertain political situation. While PML-N regretted and criticised the move, the Prime Minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani welcomed it. And, Imran Khan dubbed his joining of the PTI as "unconditional".
The announcement by Hashmi first came at Multan airport while he was leaving for Karachi and later at a joint press conference with his new party's chief Imran Khan and other top leadership here in Karachi. Javed called his entering PTI "ideological" uniformity between him and his new party. He, however, made it clear that he had no dispute with his former party leadership, PML-N, and still has reverence for Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif.
He also declared that his doors would always remain open to PML-N activists, when a large number of the League's workers thronged and surrounded his home after they came to know about their leader had quit the party to join PTI and expressed disappointment.
But, in Karachi, a large number of PTI workers and supporters celebrated Hashmi's decision and called it a "big news" of the day. PTI Chairman Imran Khan himself received Javed at Karachi Airport. Addressing a joint press conference along with Imran Khan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and other leaders of PTI, Javed said that his political decision should not be seen an overnight announcement, as it took him around four years to join the party. "I waited for four years to joint Imran Khan," he added.
"Javed Hashmi has joined the PTI without placing any conditions," Imran said at the press conference, and termed his joining an "ideological revolution". He welcomed the veteran politician to his party. Showing clear discontent over the state of national affairs on government level, Jawed said: "It is the era of demise of accountability" in the country, which made him eventually decide to join the PTI.
He said the aim of his joining PTI primarily was to rescue Pakistan from the present turbulence which the nation is undergoing. He observed that people at the helm exploited national resources and wealth unchecked and leave the country without any accountability.
He called Imran Khan "champion of politics", adding that he, Imran, continued the struggle for bringing a change in the country for the last 15 years. Imran said that the nation, his party leadership and activists want a new Pakistan, and hoped that his party workers would help the leaders and the nation to attain the goal.
Recalling his political struggle against the former military despot, Pervez Musharraf, he said Hashmi was with him to oppose the dictator. Javed said that his daughter Maimoona was also quitting the National Assembly seat. Mehmood Qureshi called his party's growing popularity "political tsunami", which has started to take over the entire Sindh.