PM Gilani should resign: Javed Hashmi

PTI’s newest recruit suggests premier should call an all-parties conference.

MULTAN: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani should dissolve parliament, resign and then organise transparent elections, newly-recruited Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Javed Hashmi said upon his arrival in Multan on Tuesday.

Gilani has had countless allegations of corruption and nepotism leveled against him, hence, the only logical thing for him to do, is to call an all-party meeting and seek their opinion on dissolving the assemblies, Hashmi said.

The proud new senior recruit was swarmed by PTI supporters upon his arrival.

“Even [former prime minister] Zulfikar Ali Bhutto didn’t have this many supporters come out to receive him upon his arrival as I do today at this airport,” Hashmi said.

High on optimism, the PTI leader predicted that his new party would secure the highest number of votes in the next general elections.

“Imran Khan asked me to join him in order to save Pakistan. I simply accepted his offer,” Hasmi said, adding, “My followers asked me not to resign because the [PML-N] party would become an orphan … but they also said if I didn’t join the PTI, then Pakistan would become an orphan.”

Earlier this week, Hashmi lashed out at the government for what he believed was the inability of the incumbents to safeguard Pakistan’s nuclear facility.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2011.