Still critical of the PML-N, PTI softens its stance a little towards MQM
Javed Hashmi says MQM is an elected party and cannot be shunned.
KARACHI:
The central president of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Javed Hashmi, claims that it was on his persuasion that the party chief, Imran Khan, softened his approach towards the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
Imran Khan, who is a fierce opponent of the MQM, has repeatedly ruled out any possibility of even negotiating with the party. But Hashmi said, “I told him that if they are democratically elected they cannot be shunned. If the party wants, they can win voters in the city by delivering.”
Hashmi said that while the PTI had its differences with the MQM over policies, he himself had cordial relations with the party. Members of the PTI say that Hashmi is the cool-headed adviser for its emotional party chief on the party’s internal matters and its policies.
Hashmi’s visit is actually a materialisation of the PTI’s plans for entering into the fray of Sindh’s politics, where it still does not enjoy the popularity like in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. His itinerary includes meetings with party members and lawyers, and small rallies in Malir and Hyderabad. Throughout the press conference, Hashmi’s kept throwing jibes at Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), but surprisingly used a less hostile tone for Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the MQM. He was also vague about revealing who might PTI make a political alliance with.
Hashmi said that even though the PTI was criticised for having a peripheral policy but ending corruption was just how the economy can be improved. “Our party is democratic within its own structure which no other party has done before.” Talking about new provinces, he declared that PTI was in favour of establishing new provinces. But he said that there was no law in the country’s constitution for making them and the assurances being given to the people are baseless. About his party’s opposition to the Mohajir Suba, however, he said that the country can only be divided on administrative lines and not ethnic.
Mir Mazhar Ali Magsi, the former additional secretary and vice president of the Sindh chapter of PML-N, and Nawabzada Mir Atiqulaah Talpur also officially joined PTI on Tuesday. While Atiqulaah Talpur, the son of Mir Lutfullah Talpur is making his debut in politics, Magsi has been in the field for a good 20 years.
An earlier version of the photo caption misspelt the word "delivering" as "deliveringm". The correction has been made.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 6th, 2012.
The central president of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Javed Hashmi, claims that it was on his persuasion that the party chief, Imran Khan, softened his approach towards the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
Imran Khan, who is a fierce opponent of the MQM, has repeatedly ruled out any possibility of even negotiating with the party. But Hashmi said, “I told him that if they are democratically elected they cannot be shunned. If the party wants, they can win voters in the city by delivering.”
Hashmi said that while the PTI had its differences with the MQM over policies, he himself had cordial relations with the party. Members of the PTI say that Hashmi is the cool-headed adviser for its emotional party chief on the party’s internal matters and its policies.
Hashmi’s visit is actually a materialisation of the PTI’s plans for entering into the fray of Sindh’s politics, where it still does not enjoy the popularity like in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. His itinerary includes meetings with party members and lawyers, and small rallies in Malir and Hyderabad. Throughout the press conference, Hashmi’s kept throwing jibes at Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), but surprisingly used a less hostile tone for Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the MQM. He was also vague about revealing who might PTI make a political alliance with.
Hashmi said that even though the PTI was criticised for having a peripheral policy but ending corruption was just how the economy can be improved. “Our party is democratic within its own structure which no other party has done before.” Talking about new provinces, he declared that PTI was in favour of establishing new provinces. But he said that there was no law in the country’s constitution for making them and the assurances being given to the people are baseless. About his party’s opposition to the Mohajir Suba, however, he said that the country can only be divided on administrative lines and not ethnic.
Mir Mazhar Ali Magsi, the former additional secretary and vice president of the Sindh chapter of PML-N, and Nawabzada Mir Atiqulaah Talpur also officially joined PTI on Tuesday. While Atiqulaah Talpur, the son of Mir Lutfullah Talpur is making his debut in politics, Magsi has been in the field for a good 20 years.
An earlier version of the photo caption misspelt the word "delivering" as "deliveringm". The correction has been made.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 6th, 2012.