On second thought: Javed Hashmi retracts his statement about Nawaz

It was no slip of tongue, says Hashmi who had earlier called Nawaz Sharif his leader.

MULTAN: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi on Sunday took back his earlier statement where he had stated that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is his leader.

“It was no slip of tongue. I had said it. I'm holding this press conference to take it back,” he said during a press conference in Multan, adding that he has respect for everyone.

“Zulfikar A Bhutto had me beaten. I was thrown in jail but I never stopped treating him with respect,” he explained.

“I can’t stand to see the youth who supported PTI disappointed and therefore, I'm taking my statement back,” he added.

In an earlier statement, the PTI leader had said that “differences apart, Nawaz was my leader and will remain my leader. We will form an opposition because it's crucial to strengthening the democratic process.”

PTI had earlier nominated Hashmi as its candidate for the slot of Prime Minister.