Javed Hashmi withdraws from election race

MULTAN: Veteran politician and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Javed Hashmi officially withdrew from contesting the July 25 general elections on Friday.The returning officer announced that Hashmi will not be contesting from NA-155 and NA-158 constituencies of Multan, Hashmi's hometown.

In a press conference on Sunday, Hashmi, an old guard of the PML-N who recently re-joined the party after spending around three years in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, had announced his withdrawal from the election.

Hashmi had said he withdrew as the party did not award him a ticket, but assured that he would support whoever contests the elections from the party's platform.

He stated that he wants to work as a party worker and will campaign for party candidates across the country if called to do so.

The veteran politician and proponent of democracy has been contesting elections since the 1980s and was considered a loyalist of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif before leaving the party in 2011. Late last year, he re-joined the PML-N after having become disgruntled with the PTI.