PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri (L) and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari (R). PHOTO: ONLINE/REUTERS
“We have found a Nawazada Nasrullah in the shape of Dr Tahirul Qadri,” said Zardari on Monday while speaking to reporters on Monday.
In his reply, the PAT chief praised Zardari efforts over the convergence of all parties.
Zardari jumps onto Qadri's bandwagon
“All credit for the recent all parties conference (APC) goes to Zardari and Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI), besides other parties. If this alliance continues, the weak will get justice and rule of law will be established,” he added.
The PAT chief, who had staged his first three-day sit-ins in 2013 for the ouster of the PPP’s last government, was talking with reference to the Saturday’s APC, hosted by the PAT and participated in by major opposition groups – the PPP and the PTI.
The APC had extended by a week a deadline earlier given by it for resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah over their alleged involvement in the killing of 14 workers of the party in a clash with police in June 2014.
The PAT chief said all political parties had taken the responsibility to ensure justice for the families of Model Town victims. “Now all decisions will be made by the APC steering committee and no individual is authorised to make any decision in his own capacity,” he said.
Qadri said when terrorists in January 2013 killed many innocent people in Balochistan, chief minister Aslam Raisani’s cabinet was removed and emergency was imposed in the province at the protest of the bereaved families, despite the fact that unknown terrorists were involved in brutal killings of innocent Hazaras.
“Those were involved in June 17, 2014 gory episode of Model Town Lahore are not unknown faces, nor Punjab Police are a banned organisation, but even then Punjab chief minister, who is a major hitch in the way of justice, is not removed,” he said.
Referring to the rumours of secret talks between the Sharif family and power players in Riyadh, Dr Qadri said if anyone ‘dared’ introduce another National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) to provide relief to ‘murderers’, his party would announce a ‘national action plan’.
“Another corruption scandal of the Sharif family has been unveiled in Saudi Arabia. They have made billions of rupees worth of investments in the kingdom from looted money,” he alleged.
The PAT chief said if his own sons had been killed, he would have had the right to forgive the killers; but in Model Town incident sons of his movement were killed and he had no legal or religious right to absolve their killers.
I can unite Zardari, Imran whenever I want: Qadri
“It is against the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) to forgo the right to revenge and it is similar to selling the blood of innocent people,” he added.
Qadri contradicted the Punjab government spokesman’s statement about meetings between government representatives and PAT General Secretary Khurram Nawaz Gandapur and said people involved in ‘this propaganda are big liars’.
“People responsible for the Model Town carnage will have to face justice,” he warned.
PAT registered as political party
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has okayed the PAT as political party. The commission has also issued notification after fulfilling all legal formalities.
PAT Central Coordinator Sajid Mahmood Bhatti said on Monday the party had provided credentials of all office-bearers and details of intraparty election, including poling date and results after which the commission issued the notification.
“The party is being reorganised at national level for which a drive to mobilise workers have already been initiated,” he added.
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