‘I suggested Nawaz Sharif apologise for Musharraf deal’

Hashmi accuses govt of depriving his constituency of development funds.

MULTAN: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Makhdoom Javed Hashmi said on Friday that he had on numerous occasions suggested PML president Nawaz Sharif to apologise to the people for agreeing to exile to Saudi Arabia under an agreement with General Pervaiz Musharraf.

Hashmi was speaking to the media at Multan Press Club.

He said people had seen how Nawaz Sharif and his family went to Saudi Arabia leaving party workers alone here in the country to face the Musharraf government. Hashmi advised his former colleagues in the PML-N not to trust Nawaz Sharif.

Hashmi also condemned the PML-N government in the province. He alleged that his constituency was deprived of development funds by the provincial government.

Hashmi said despite innumerable requests by him funds had not been released by the government for development projects in his constituency. He said funds earmarked for his constituency were spent in other constituencies. “My constituents blamed me for not providing them any relief. They started suspecting my loyalty towards them,” Hashmi said.

The PTI leader said while the PML-N mentions Aafia Siddiqui’s case it does not talk about Aimal Kaansi who had been ‘gifted to the Americans’?

He said he was the first person in PML-N who raised a voice for Aafia Siddiqui.

Hashmi congratulated the winners of Multan Press Club elections and advised them to continue working for the independence of media.

He said he himself had faced the accountability by the media. “I have always trusted the people to judge me fairly. They are the only source of power for a politician,” he said.

PTI men condemn Awan for ‘lack of respect for courts’

Meanwhile, PTI workers staged protests demonstration in Multan and other cities in south Punjab against PPP’s Babar Awan for allegedly disrespecting the Supreme Court. They raised slogans against Awan and also burnt his effigy.

PTI leader Tariq Naeemullah said they wanted to send a message to all political parties of the country that PTI would defend the ‘independent judiciary’ against any conspiracy.

He said Supreme Courts’ directives should be enforced by the government.

He said PPP’s leader Benazir Bhutto had also stood up for the independence of judiciary. He said had Awan been loyal to Benazir’s message he would have avoided showing disrespect for the courts.

The protesters said the Chief Justice of Pakistan should suspend Awan’s license for practicing law in the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2012.