Strong stance: No talks on interim govt before long march, says Qadri

Insists there are no plans to ‘derail democracy’.

KARACHI:

While reiterating his vow to turn Islamabad into the “world’s largest Tahrir Square,” Minhajul Quran International (MQI) chief Tahirul Qadri said that any discussions, appointments or announcements concerning a caretaker government before his long march scheduled for January 14 will not be accepted.

Qadri was addressing a press conference at Khawaja House on Wednesday.

“We want a caretaker government which is totally impartial, powerful and honest and we are open to discussions with everybody, including the president and the prime minister to achieve this end – but not before the long march,” he said.

“This long march will not stop with discussions or negotiations,” said Qadri, a Canadian national who has recently returned to Pakistan.



Qadri dispelled the notion that the movement was to pave way for becoming the caretaker prime minister himself; he added that he had no agenda to derail the democratic system. “A few politicians have been spreading this propaganda that our agenda is to sack the democratic system, but this is not true as we believe in restoration of clean politics,” he said. “Elections should happen but only after electoral reforms.”

Qadri’s ‘vision’

While stating his vision, Qadri said that the struggle accounts for bringing middle-class, ‘educated people’ to Parliament in place of those with a feudal mindset. To him, an electoral system like that of India is required in the country where complaints for rigging result in abrupt corrective measures, he added.

Qadri said it was futile to approach the Election Commission of Pakistan with suggestions of electoral reforms as law-making is not in the commission’s purview. “If a complaint of rigged polls is registered at the election commission, it is ultimately forwarded to the courts which then take five years to pass a verdict,” he added.

In reply to a question, Qadri termed his visit to Karachi as “very successful” that resulted in a ‘bonding’ with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. “I hope, together we both will achieve the objective,”  he declared.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3^rd, 2013.