ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) expressed on Saturday its confidence over the intervention of Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif to resolve the ongoing political impasse in the interest of democracy and the country.
“The leaders of PAT (and PTI) have both given a positive response and progress has been made in meetings with the army chief to clear this impasse and have a solution to the whole problem in a democratic way, meeting the demands of the demonstrators for justice and good governance,” Dr Tahirul Qadri's party said in a report submitted to the Supreme Court on Saturday.
“PAT is full of confidence that it shall be resolved finally and fully in the interest of democracy and the country,” it added.
The report, submitted by PAT counsel Ali Zafar, was in response to the Supreme Court's August 28 order regarding the clearing of one side of the Constitutional Avenue.
The response also stated that three of four lanes on Constitution Avenue have been cleared and traffic is flowing.
The party also requested the top court to dismiss a petition against ongoing protests at Constitutional Avenue.
It is to be noted that a five judge larger bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Justice Nasirul Mulk, will resume the hearing of several petitions, filed by different bar associations against any extra constitutional steps on Monday (September 1).
Meanwhile, a member of the PAT team, which is negotiating with the government, told The Express Tribune that the dialogue has failed due to the government’s refusal for getting a resignation from the premier and the chief minister of Punjab.
COMMENTS (13)
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@LHR: I corrected a few spelling errors in your comment: Next move….Nawaz’s flight to Riyadh……hopefully permanently this time
@Humza: This is likely because he never was a diplomat...............but may be a low cadre employee at an embassy.
How many diplomats do you know who write such crap on blogs and write former diplomat by their name?
@Ahmed: "Better yet, Qadri and Imran Khan’s one way ride to prison" Bhai sahib why do you want to make our prisons "paleed" and contaminated.......let them go where they belong Canada and London
Qadri and Imran should consider themselves lucky if they are not tried for treason. If TuQ becomes President of Pakistan, will he still swear allegiance to Canada? Will he still pay Canadian taxes?
@csmann: This is no laughing matter - the damage done to Pakistan's fragile economy by these hooligans is very real, the harm done to an already suffering people by these hooligans is very real. Even if democracy emerges stronger than before, as it will, Imran Khan and Qadri should be punished for creating this totally uncalled for crisis.
The way IK and Qadri have been inciting the crowds with their blatantly belligerent speeches,this was bound to happen.Qadri should be sent back to Canada;IK should be given a position in the Cricket board,and banned from politics.
Qadri forgot his InSHALLA and put his faith in the 5 retiring generals.
@Iqbal Hadi Zaidi: For someone who insists on calling himself a former diplomat, you sure lack diplomacy in your manner of speech. I would have thought the diplomatic corps would teach civil language, the importance of dialogue and the need to follow a process and work within institutions. Your blind support for the PTI mob of a few thousand or the PAT mob of a few thousand is puzzling. I am glad to see the majority of Pakistanis do not believe in mob rule and do not support the cleric Qadri who thinks he is " Lenin and Marx all in one" or Imran Khan who refuses to accept that he lost elections even though he formed a government in KPK. At the end of the day, international observers from Europe and the West concluded that despite minor rigging that goes on in all 3 rd world countries, the elections were largely free and fair. I pray that the PM does not give in to the mob of protesting sore losers and self styled champions of what is right. The majority of Pakistanis voted for Nawaz Sharif and the majority knows what is right for the nation. If you disagree, work to vote him out in four years through the democratic process of elections but spare the country and its people these silly games and never ending deadlines. We are tired of the hot air speeches of sore losers and poor sports.
@Iqbal Hadi Zaidi: PMLN is running propaganda cell led by Marvi Memon, under the supervision of Maryam Sharif. The comments they post are so blatantly incorrect and politically extremist, that you can tell where they coming from.
LHR. What deters you to personify yourself and pen your real full name + location + mobile + email like I do? Why do you play hide and seek? PM Nawaz behind bars, Imran takes over as PM and Qadri takes over as President. Aren't you happy now? Iqbal Hadi Zaidi / Former Diplomat / Kuwait / Mobile 00965-66229897 / zaidiformerdiplomat@hotmail.com
@LHR: Better yet, Qadri and Imran Khan's one way ride to prison. No one should be allowed to get away unpunished with so many obvious and blatant lies on important issues, and to do so much economic and political damage to Pakistan, as these two have already done.
Next move....Qadri's flight to Toronto......hopefully permanently this time