No London plan in the offing: PAT

Spokesperson says Tahirul Qadri in Canada, not in London

LAHORE: The Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) has rejected the possibility of any ‘London plan’ as PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri has already reached Canada.

“Dr Qadri has reached Canada and he will be back in London on October 21. PAT isn’t aware about Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader’s London visit,” PAT Spokesperson Noorullah Siddiqui told The Express Tribune.

“We are in touch with Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, however, there is no truth in the rumours of any London plan involving PAT,” he added. PAT officials said Tahirul Qadri left for Canada the same day PTI leaders Chaudhry Sarwar and Jehangir Tareen reached London. “We don’t have any problem with the PTI but as far as the October 30 plan to shut down Islamabad is concerned, we have neither been contacted nor invited to participate. Their party is independent and they are free to make their own decisions,” he said.

When asked whether any low-level contact with the PTI had been made, he said PAT and PTI did not have any contact at any level. “We support the opposition’s demand of investigation on the issue of Panama Papers. The opposition parties also support PAT’s demand regarding Qisas for the victims of the Model Town incident. PAT has prepared a case to raise the issue of its workers’ killings on international forums. Dr Qadri is abroad for that purpose,” he said.

Noorullah said it would run a second round of Qisas movement after discussing it with party leaders. “Our case is in the decisive phase in the anti-terrorism court and we expect a decision soon,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2016.