ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan avoided mentioning the name of Amir Dogar, the independent candidate supported by PTI who defeated Javed Hashmi in the Multan by-election, at his party’s sit-in here on Thursday.

Addressing his supporters, he said: “I am upset because the politics of Mr Javed Hashmi is going to end.”

Mr Khan said he was upset when Javed Hashmi had alleged that “Imran is trying to topple the government with the support of the military”, adding that he won’t malign Mr Hashmi.

The PTI chief had owned Amir Dogar at his party’s rally in Multan on Oct 10.

But PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi welcomed the victory of Amir Dogar, saying that although the PML-N was supporting Javed Hashmi, “we secured the National Assembly seat in the by-election”. Talking to a TV channel, he said:

“The rabbit [election symbol of Amir Dogar] ate the ‘lion’ of the PML-N.”

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2014