Daily Times

MULTAN: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Javed Hashmi on Tuesday claimed that conspiracies were being hatched against former PM Nawaz Sharif during the ex-PM’s tenure to oust him from premiership.

“The establishment hatched conspiracies to oust Nawaz during the latter’s tenure, I am a living proof of it. The army will have to accept its role and will have to respect and salute the civilian governments,” Hashmi claimed while addressing a press conference in Multan.

The PML-N leader also endorsed ex-PM Nawaz’s recent comments on the 2008 Mumbai attacks saying that “Nawaz has uttered nothing but the truth.”

Speaking to Dawn earlier this week, Nawaz had said: “Militant organisations are active. Call them non-state actors, should we allow them to cross the border and kill 150 people in Mumbai? Explain it to me. Why can’t we complete the trial?”

Referring to Nawaz’s demands of forming a national commission to determine and hang “traitors” to death, Hashmi said that “here, the courts are only present to hang politicians to death” and that “if you are to hang Nawaz Sharif, hang me too.”

Hashmi continued that the establishment must respect the the civilian government and understand its responsibilities. “In 1965 war, I donated blood to our soldiers. Moreover, I also donated Rs 4,500 which I received as a scholarship. I salute the armed forces but it is my right to question them. They must understand their role in a democratic system.”

The veteran politician also slammed the Supreme Court (SC) saying that the apex court “was a washing machine which wipes off all the dirt off of its favourite people.”

He also vowed to stand by Nawaz Sharif, while he also said there is no doubt that the ex-PM loves the country unconditionally.