Nehal Hashmi takes back his resignation from Senate

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Nehal Hashmi took his party leaders and rivals by surprise when he asked the Senate chairman not to accept his resignation, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

In a surprise move, Nehal Hashmi met chairman Raza Rabbani today, informing him about his intention of withdrawing the resignation that he had tendered  in the wake of the party’s directives following his outburst.

His move, which is seen as a U-turn, has a potential of triggering a new controversy as many politicians and analysts while reacting to his latest move wondered  as to what led him to backtrack.

After his outburst targeting the judiciary and the members of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the Sharif family, the PML-N leadership had suspended his party membership and asked him to resign from the upper house.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had also expressed immense displeasure over his threatening speech and disassociated himself from it and sought an explanation from him.

Hashmi had also been booked on criminal charges for his hostile attitude and open threats to esteemed members of the judiciary and national institutions.

The Supreme Court had also taken notice of his outburst seeking a written explanation from him  for his slanderous rant during a PML-N worker’s event on Yaum-e-Takbeer.

In a video, the PML-N leader was seen warning the judges and those probing the Panama Papers allegations of dire consequences if they continued with the accountability of PM Sharif and his family.

His speech hit the headlines and elicited strong criticism and disapproval from political quarters.