MULTAN: The Pakistan Teheek-i-Insaf dropped its demand for formation of technocrats' government under the Supreme Court to persuade its president, Javed Hashmi, to lead party's Azadi March to Islamabad on Thursday.

Hashmi had returned to his hometown Multan early on Wednesday in protest after party chairman Imran Khan made the "unconstitutional" demand at a news conference on Tuesday.

Hashmi told newsmen after a meeting with a three-member party delegation that he talked to Mr Khan by phone and discussed his reservations regarding establishment of a technocrats' government and imposition of martial law.

He said Imran Khan had assured him that the party would neither support martial law nor the technocrats' government.

A three-member PTI delegation comprising MNA Arif Alvi, opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly Mahmoodur Rashid and Umer Dar reached here and held negotiations with Hashmi. After their talks, the team left for Lahore in the company of Mr Hashmi.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2014