Finally granted a portfolio: Top PTI position goes to Javed Hashmi
Party chairman will look after policy while Hashmi will handle political affairs.
LAHORE:
In a move that was a long time coming, the key slot of president of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was allotted on Monday to Javed Hashmi, the veteran politician and ex-Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader.
The decision was taken in the party’s meeting at Zaman Park, and it was announced at the same time as the merger of the Pakistan Democratic Party (PDP) into PTI.
Hashmi, a respected political stalwart, had been without a portfolio since he joined the party in December. His compatriot, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, was elevated to the position of party vice-chairman soon after he joined. Both Qureshi and Hashmi hail from adjacent constituencies in Multan.
“The move was on the cards for some time... Hashmi will act as a focal person for political affairs in the party dispensing day to day political matters, while as chairman, Imran Khan will look after policy matters,” said a high-ranking PTI source.
“The role of the party president will be clearly defined in the upcoming party constitution due for release in a couple of weeks. The constitution will envisage the roles of all the office-bearers in the party,” added the source.
Referring to Hashmi’s value to the party, the source said “It would have been unfair to Hashmi had he not been given any role. We would not like to waste the precious political expertise Hashmi brought to the party”.
Imran announced the decision after Nawabzada Mansoor Khan, son of the late Nawabzada Nasrullah, merged his party, PDP, into the PTI.
Hashmi, who was present during the announcement, thanked party chief Imran Khan. “I am grateful to the party and Chairman Imran Khan for entrusting this important position to me. I pledge to work for the restoration of true democracy in the country along with Imran Khan,” Hashmi said in a brief statement.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2012.
In a move that was a long time coming, the key slot of president of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was allotted on Monday to Javed Hashmi, the veteran politician and ex-Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader.
The decision was taken in the party’s meeting at Zaman Park, and it was announced at the same time as the merger of the Pakistan Democratic Party (PDP) into PTI.
Hashmi, a respected political stalwart, had been without a portfolio since he joined the party in December. His compatriot, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, was elevated to the position of party vice-chairman soon after he joined. Both Qureshi and Hashmi hail from adjacent constituencies in Multan.
“The move was on the cards for some time... Hashmi will act as a focal person for political affairs in the party dispensing day to day political matters, while as chairman, Imran Khan will look after policy matters,” said a high-ranking PTI source.
“The role of the party president will be clearly defined in the upcoming party constitution due for release in a couple of weeks. The constitution will envisage the roles of all the office-bearers in the party,” added the source.
Referring to Hashmi’s value to the party, the source said “It would have been unfair to Hashmi had he not been given any role. We would not like to waste the precious political expertise Hashmi brought to the party”.
Imran announced the decision after Nawabzada Mansoor Khan, son of the late Nawabzada Nasrullah, merged his party, PDP, into the PTI.
Hashmi, who was present during the announcement, thanked party chief Imran Khan. “I am grateful to the party and Chairman Imran Khan for entrusting this important position to me. I pledge to work for the restoration of true democracy in the country along with Imran Khan,” Hashmi said in a brief statement.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2012.