PML-N lawyer wing leader jumps ship, joins PTI

• PML-N's Lawyers Forum's Senior Vice-President part joins PTI.
• Sheikh lauds Nadeem Shahzad Hashmi decision to leave PML-N.
• PTI Sindh chief praises ILF for standing with PTI founder Imran Khan.

KARACHI: In a boost for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) lawyer wing jumped ship to join the party founded by Imran Khan, The News reported on Sunday.

Advocate Nadeem Shahzad Hashmi, Senior Vice-President of the PML-N's Lawyers Forum, joined the PTI after meeting PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh on Saturday.

Welcoming the lawyer to the party, Sheikh praised the now-former PML-N leader for his decision to part ways with the Shehbaz Sharif-led party to join its ranks.

"Just as lawyers stood with Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the movement for Pakistan, lawyers are now playing their role in advancing the ideology of [PTI founder] Imran Khan," the PTI Sindh chief said while lauding the Insaf Lawyers Forum (ILF).

Furthermore, several ILF Karachi members including President Zahoor Mehsud, Advocates Manzoor Bhatta, Haneef Noonari, Khan Zaman Khattak, Asghar Joya, Nazirullah Mehsud, Liaqat Hussain, Zahida, Shahida, Advocate Asima, Dilbar Ajaz, GM Azad, Imran Rana, Muhammad Rashid and others were also present at the moment.

The development comes as the PTI, since the ouster of Khan via vote of no confidence and subsequent crackdown against the party after the May 9 riots has seen a large number of lawyers joining its ranks with Barrister Gohar Khan currently serving as the party's chairman for a second time.

The party's senior leadership also includes lawyers like Barrister Ali Zafar, Sher Afzal Marwat, Hamid Khan, Salman Akram Raja, Latif Khosa and others.

The party had even fielded a large number of lawyers during the February 8 polls with political analysts terming it as a good strategy owing to the unity among their ranks and the backing of lawyers' bodies.

"Lawyers supported and stood by the PTI in its testing times and handled cases of party leaders, including Imran Khan. They truly deserved [party tickets]," PTI leader Khurram Sher Zaman said talking to The News on party's decision to give tickets to lawyers.

"Lawyers enjoy the backing of bar councils and bar associations, which have a tradition of safeguarding the fundamental rights of their members. Arresting them or launching legal action against them seems somewhat difficult though the establishment has no such tradition as it treats everyone badly," said Dr Tauseef Ahmed Khan.

Meanwhile, senior court reported Asghar Umar is of the view that: "Lawyers are the most organised community in civil society and hold significant sway. Some political parties are trying to cash in on them."