Javed Hashmi

Makhdoom Javed Hashmi مخدوم جاوید ہاشمی MP
1st President of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
Incumbent
Assumed office 19 March 2012
Vice President	Hamid Khan Asad Umar Azam Khan Swati Najeeb Haroon
Preceded by	Position established
Constituency	NA-149 (Multan-II)
Federal Minister of Health
In office 17 February 1997 – 12 October 1999
President	Rafiq Tarar Farooq Leghari
Prime Minister	Nawaz Sharif
Federal Minister of Youth Affairs
In office 26 May 1993 – 18 July 1993
President	Ghulam Ishaq Khan
Prime Minister	Nawaz Sharif
Personal details
Born	Makhdoom Muhammad Javed Hashmi (1948-01-01) 1 January 1948 Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan
Nationality	Pakistani
Political party	Pakistan Muslim League (N) (1990-2011) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (2011-present)
Residence	Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory
Alma mater	Punjab University (B.Sc., M.Sc. and M.Phil.)
Profession	Agriculturist
Religion	Islam

Makhdoom Muhammad Javed Hashmi (Urdu: مخدوم محمد جاوید ہاشمی ; b. January 1, 1948), is a senior conservative figure, political science and geostrategist who presides over the Pakistan Movement for Justice (PTI) which is led by sportsman-turned statesman Imran Khan. He was elected to the post of Central President on March 2013 by the electoral college of the party.

Originally a leading and senior member of Pakistan Muslim League, Hashmi served twice in federal cabinet first as the Federal Ministry of Health and as the Federal Ministry of Youth Affairs in both first and second government of former Prime minister Nawaz Sharif. After being dismissed in 1999 in a coup d'état staged by General Pervez Musharraf against Nawaz Sharif, Hashmi was appointed central president of the Pakistan Muslim League and led the League in the controversial 2002 general elections, which saw the landslide defeat of the League. In 2003, Hashmi was arrested and faced a trial on charges of treason in the Central Jail Rawalpindi after making controversial statements against Pakistan Armed Forces, and was released on 4 August 2007.^[1]

In the 2008 elections, Hashmi won a record three seats out of the four contested; he only lost out to Shah Mehmood Qureshi in his home city of Multan. Hashmi won National Assembly seats from Multan, Lahore and Rawalpindi beating PML-Q leader Shaikh Rasheed Ahmad in the latter one.^[2] On 20 July 2010 Hashmi suffered from Brain hemorrhage and was admitted to hospital. After recovering, he served as the Chairman of the Standing Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and but resigned after falling out with Nawaz Sharif on various political issues. He would later ascended to join the Pakistan Movement for Justice led by Imran Khan as the party president. In 2013 elections Hashmi won from both two constituency's he contested from in Islamabad and in Multan from the platform of PTI.^[3]

Early career

An agriculturist by profession, Hashmi attended Punjab University where he was part of the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami and was once accused of murder of a fellow student but was ruled not guilty by court. He took his B.Sc. in Political Science in 1969, followed by M.Sc. in 1971, and M.Phil. in 1973, in the same academic discipline from the same institution. The then Prime Minister Z.A Bhutto offered him to be High Commissioner of Pakistan in United Kingdom(UK)and in return give up agitation against the ruling PPP but he did not budge from his stance.^[4] He turned to politics in 1985 and joined hands with Nawaz Sharif — who later became Prime minister.^[4] From 1985 till 1988, he was elected to the National Assembly for the terms of 1985 till 1988.^[4] From 1990 till 1993, Hashmi was the Minister of State for Youth Affairs, and elected as Parliamentarian for the terms of 1993–1997.^[4] From 1997–1999, he served as Federal Minister for Health in Nawaz Sharif's cabinet during his second term. He was alleged for being involved in Mehran Bank Scandal along with other political heavyweights like Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif and few more main stream politicians of that time. Allegations on Makhdoom Javed Hashmi were laid by Yousaf Advocate who had an old business conflict with Hashmi family, he alleged Hashmi's involvement in the scandal but Younas Habib who was the main character and distributed all the funds never alleged Makhdoom Javed Hashmi. Makhdoom Javed Hashmi very strongly rejected the allegations and demanded a judicial probe of the scandal involving all the top political leadership of that time. During Musharraf era,PML(Q) was in dire need of MNAs to form a coalition government, so their delegation led by Ch. shujaat went on to see him and offered him to be part of PML(Q)but Hashmi Refused to support Pervez Musharraf. For this act he had to suffer the wrath of the then president Gen. Musharraf and he remained behind the bars for 5 years. During prison days he wrote two books about his political struggle which are named as "HAAN MEIN BAGHI HUN"(yes,I am a rebel)& "TAKHTAEY E DAAR K SAAEY TALAY". .He served in united nations for some times as well.^[4] These days he is serving as President Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf. Hashmi is one of the politicians in Pakistan who have never lost in an elections.

Arrest

ON 29 October 2003, he was arrested from Parliament Building on charges of inciting mutiny made by General Pervez Musharraf.^[5] Earlier, in a press conference on 20 October 2003, he had read a letter that he received in mail, signed anonymously by some active military officers at Pakistan Army's Combatant Headquarter, known as The Generals Headquarter (GHQ), calling for an investigation into the corruption in the armed forces and criticizing the President and Chief of Army Staff General Pervez Musharraf, and his relationship with the American President George W. Bush.^[5] His trial was held in the central Adiala Jail instead of a district and sessions court at the Lahore High Court, which raised doubts among human rights groups about its fairness.^[5] On 12 April 2004, he was sentenced to 23 years in prison for inciting mutiny in the army, forgery, and defamation.^[5]

The verdict has widely been considered as a willful miscarriage of justice by the General Pervez Musharraf's Government. All opposition parties in Pakistan, including Pakistan Peoples Party of the former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and six party-alliance Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), regarded the verdict to be politically motivated by the ruling junta with malicious intent, declaring him to be a political prisoner.^[5] In imprisonment he also wrote two books titled as "Haan, Main Baaghi Hoon!" (Yes, I am a 'Rebel!') and "takhta daar ke saaye tale" (Under the shadow of Hanging board). His book, "Yes, I am a 'Rebel'!", Hashmi clearly stated that he was jailed because he demanded a commission to be formed to investigate the Kargil issue, the restoration of democracy and opposed the Army’s role in politics, and Pakistan's geostrategy policy in central Asia and Europe.^[5]

On 3 August 2007, a three-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan under Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry granted him bail after serving approximately three and a half years in prison.^[5] Javed Hashmi was released from the Central Jail Kotlakhpat in Lahore on 4 August 2007.^[5]

He was again placed under arrest at the declaration of a state of emergency on 3 November 2007^[6]

2008 elections

It is believed that Hashmi was personally asked by party chairman Nawaz Sharif to contest from Rawalpindi for the National Assembly seat, where Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed of the PML[Q] was undefeated since 1988. Makhdoom Javed Hashmi as a result won three National Assembly seats, one from Rawalpindi, one from Punjab Capital Lahore and one from his hometown Multan. Hashmi beat PML-Q's political stalwart Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed in Rawalpindi. They finished second behind the PPP and made a coalition with its one time fierce rivals.

After 2008 elections

Despite winning 3 seats, Hashmi refused to take oath from President Musharraf and thus did not get a place in the federal cabinet. Hashmi was one of the few people who decided not to take oath as it was against his principle. Hashmi is the senior vice president of the party and is always seen in important meeting between the PML(N) and PPP. Hashmi is considered a political heavyweight and is well respected throughout Pakistan. He is seen many times representing the views of his party the PML-N on various talk shows. It was widely reported that in the by-elections, Hashmi supported an independent candidate who was running against Makhdoom Mureed Hussain Qureshi, brother of Hashmi's old rival Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi. After Mureed Qureshi lost, many people including Mureed Hussain widely condemned the behaviour of Hashmi and said that they will report the incident to the chief of the Peoples Party, Asif Zardari. Hashmi is a strong supporter of the judges who have been sacked and it is said that Hashmi is one of the few people in the PML-N who are trying to convince the senior leadership of the PML-N to stop supporting the PPP as they believe the PPP is not serious and sincere when they say that they will restore the judges.

Kerry-Lugar Bill

Javed Hashmi released a very strong reaction on Inter Services Public Relations press release on Kerry-Luger bill.^{[citation needed]} Terming Kerry-Lugar bill an interference on part of US in Pakistani security agencies' affairs, he said that if there is anything that needs to be corrected, Pakistan will do it herself. Besides he also commented on Pakistan Army's response to the bill saying "Pak Army should stay within its limits,... We will protect our Army if it ensures playing the role assigned to it."^[7]

Resignation from Parliament (2011)

On 7 May 2011 Hashmi submitted his resignation from Parliament, claiming that is a dummy and not passing real legislation, his resignation has yet to be accepted by Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan the leader of Pakistan Parliamentary affairs.^[8]

Hospitalization

In July 20, 2010, Hashmi was hospitalized at Nishtar Hospital after he suffered Brain Hemorrhage, and his body also suffered stroke due to internal bleeding.^[9] He was later admitted at the Lahore General Hospital Dr. Tariq Salahuddin, principal of the Lahore General Hospital.^[10] Dr. Tariq Salahuddin briefed the media and Hashmi’s CT Angiography reports came out normal.^[10]

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

Javed Hashmi joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on December 24, 2011 saying that he has made no deal with Imran Khan and has become a member because Imran Khan has an agenda of a change, but analysts say that various reasons caused this act, like Nawaz Sharif refused to make Hashmi the leader of opposition, refused to let Hashmi run for President as Nawaz did not want the PML(Q)'s vote for Hashmi and the PML(N) did not give Hashmi's son-in-law, Zahid Hashmi a ticket for the elections.^[11] While addressing a mega political rally at the tomb of Quaid-e-Azam in Karachi on December 25, 2011 He said, "The youth of today have to move forward,Karachi is mini Pakistan. It represents all shades of the peoples of Pakistan." Quoting Quaid-e-Azam he said, "Minorities are our blood." Hashmi straight forwardly addressed to PTI Chairman Imran Khan, "Yes, I'm a rebel (Baghi); you invited a rebel to join PTI, Now if you have not delivered as per your manifesto I will be first person to rebel against your Party” He has a very famous chant to his name in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, "baghi hun main", I'm a rebel Hashmi and his daughter Memoona Hashmi resigned from National assembly of Pakistan on December 29, 2011.^[12]

Javed Hashmi dared Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader Nawaz Sharif to field his man against Shaikh Rashid in the next elections despite knowing that he too defeated Sheikh Rasheed on the PML(N)'s ticket and Sheikh Rasheed had been defeated by two other PMLN candidates as well.^[13]

References

External links

• Profile by PILDAT
• Columns for Javed Hashmi at IBITIANS.com
• Find News and Columns About Makhdoom Muhammad Javed Hashmi at www.makhdoomjavedhashmi.com