Imran hits back at Hashmi after 2014 sit-in tirade

MONITORING DESK

KARACHI: The latest barb by Makhdoom Javed Hashmi has evoked instant response from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, who said on Sunday that the former was an insane person.

"What response can I give to Hashmi's lies?" he commented.

Aaj News reported on Sunday that responding to Khan's allegations, Hashmi called for a mental check-up of both of them. He said the result of that check-up would rid the Pakistani nation of Imran Khan.

Hashmi on a TV show accused the PTI chief of conspiring against the government during the 2014 sit-in because he had failed to win enough votes in the election.

"Disgruntled elements in the army wanted to make Raheel Sharif unsuccessful at any cost, and through Imran Khan, they wanted to destroy the parliament."

Hashmi also accused Imran Khan of working in league with non-political forces saying that those script writers, whoever they were, wrote that Tahir-ul-Qadri would go to parliament and we [the PTI] would sit behind them.

He quoted Imran as saying former Chief Justice of Pakistan Tasadduq Jilani would leave and then Nasir-ul-Mulk would [be sworn in] and he would dissolve the assemblies.

"And after that, there would be elections in 90 days. During that time, Imran said, the Supreme Court will take over and then we [the PTI] will win," Makhdoom Hashmi claimed.

He said he opposed Imran and urged him not to do so. And, finally, he resigned because the Supreme Court's holidays were [suddenly] cancelled and that seemed like a machination to him.

He claimed that the generals had already told Imran Khan that Nawaz Sharif would not resign like he did in 1999. Hence, it was [Imran Khan's] second step to get everything done by the Supreme Court, former PTI leader said.