‘PAT decision on agitation after 31st’

PAT federal council says FIR in Model Town killings was registered on Army Chief’s intervention

LAHORE: Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Tahirul Qadri said on Friday that a decision on launching a country-wide protest against the government would be taken after consulting other opposition parties on July 31.

He was speaking to the media after a meeting of the PAT federal council.

Qadri said there could be no end to the reign of corruption, terrorism and lawlessness without ridding the country of Sharifs’ rule.

The PAT chief said Chief Of the Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif deserved to be honoured with the title of Mard-i-Ahan (Man of Steel) for leading a successful operation against terrorists and extremists and for bringing peace to the country.

Qadri said time had come for the people of the country to decide whether they wanted to side with corrupt rulers or durable peace, justice and fairness in affairs of government. He said the federal and provincial government were afraid only of PAT leaders and workers because they were aware that the PAT workers were fearless and could not be bought.

Earlier, the PAT federal council gave full authority to Qadri to decide the date for the start of a Tehreek-i-Qissas (movement for retribution) to seek justice for those who lost their lives in the Model Town violence of 2014. A resolution passed by the council stated that an FIR had been lodged in the matter only after the intervention of the army chief. It said that now the army chief should ensure that justice was served in the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 30^th, 2016.