Javed Hashmi Encourages Jailed PTI Leaders After May 9 Verdicts: “Your Cases Will End Like Mine Did
Lahore:Senior politician Javed Hashmi has expressed solidarity with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders sentenced in connection with the May 9 incidents, urging them to stay strong and drawing parallels to his own political struggles.
In a message posted on social media platform X, Hashmi addressed the convicted PTI leaders, stating:
> “Brave lions of PTI, who have been sentenced to 10 years in prison — many of you are future leaders of this country. Do not lose hope. I too was sentenced to 23 years, and your cases will end just like mine did. The only difference is that your leader is standing firm and fighting back. The country is currently under a de facto martial law, and democracy exists only on paper. I salute PTI and its workers.”
His remarks came in response to the recent verdicts announced by an anti-terrorism court, which sentenced senior PTI leaders including **Dr. Yasmin Rashid** and **Mian Mahmood ur Rasheed** to **10 years in prison** for their alleged role in the May 9 riots. **Shah Mahmood Qureshi**, however, was acquitted.
Hashmi, once a prominent PML-N and former PTI member, is known for his strong pro-democracy stance and has previously spent years in prison for defying authoritarian regimes. His statement is being seen as a message of resilience and moral support amid what PTI calls a politically motivated crackdown.
تحریکِ انصاف کے بہادر شیروں، جنہیں 10، 10 سال کی قید ہوئی ہے—آپ میں سے کئی ہمارے مستقبل کے لیڈر ہیں۔ آپ نے مایوس نہیں ہونا۔ مجھے بھی 23 سال کی قید ہوئی تھی، اور آپ کے مقدمات کا انجام بھی وہی ہوگا جو میرے کیس کا ہوا۔ فرق صرف اتنا ہے کہ آپ کا لیڈر خود بھی ڈٹ کر مقابلہ کر رہا ہے۔…
— Javed Hashmi (@JavedHashmiJH) July 23, 2025
