Javed Hashmi has no political standing: PTI's Fawad Chaudhry

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry said on Monday that senior politician Javed Hashmi has no political standing.

Chaudhry, while speaking at an event here, said: “Javed Hashmi has not won an election in South Punjab, maybe he won in 1970. He was the minister of General Zia-ul-Haq in 1979.”

The PTI leader’s statements came as Javed Hashmi met former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif ahead of the party’s central executive committee (CEC) meeting.

Chaudhry added that out of 27 PML-N CEC members, six were from the Sharif family. 

“Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shehbaz are both members of the committee. Not a single person from South Punjab is included nor is there any representation from Sindh.”

Hashmi, a veteran politician from Multan, had left the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) after a years-long association and joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 2011. However, he later disassociated himself from the PTI following the party's prolonged protest sit-in against the PML-N government in 2014.

Sources said as Hashmi and Nawaz met, the former premier's daughter Maryam uttered, "welcome back home Hashmi Sahab".

Addressing the media later, Railways Minister Saad Rafique said PML-N President Nawaz Sharif appreciated Hashmi’s role for the supremacy of law and civilian authority.

Rafique said that the party will review Hashmi's inclusion in the party in its next stage of movement for the supremacy of law.