Javed Hashmi hits at army, ISI's role in anti-govt protest

ISLAMABAD: Expelled leader of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party today pointed fingers at the powerful army and the ISI for "planning" the anti-government protests to topple Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Javed Hashmi, who was expelled after criticising party chairman Imran Khan for marching to the parliament on Saturday, said that Khan told close party members that it was decided that election will be held either in August or before end of the year.

He said that the protest was planned by "others" and it was going according to the script.

"Imran planned for general elections that would be held either late August or early September," Hashmi said.

"Imran made a committee of me, Shah Mehmood and Jahangir Tareen and asked us to decide on a date...for elections to be held in September...I don't know who is behind the plan...I don't know...names have been named...of General Zaheer, ISI, army," he said.

Hashmi also said that army was keeping Khan and Qadri together.

"Imran would only move when Qadri moved. Whether it was from Lahore, or when we arrived. Are we their hostages?" Hashmi questioned.

"You were only abiding because they told you to move with Qadri," he said.

Though, Hashmi refused to explain 'they' but the reference was clearly towards the army.

He also alleged that Supreme Court Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk was also part of the plan as he would approve the toppling of government and new elections.

He said Khan told his close colleagues that "we have a friendly chief justice now".

"Imran had told the core committee it won't be called a martial law. We will file a petition in the Supreme Court and get a judge of our choosing who will say okay to everything," Hashmi alleged.