Nawaz says he won’t allow Minhajul Quran chief to take Pakistan hostage. PHOTO: INP/FILE
LAHORE:
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif has made it clear he will not allow Minhajul Quran chief Dr Tahirul Qadri to ‘take the country hostage’ and sabotage the electoral process.
Addressing a joint press conference with Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) chief Talal Bugti at his residence on Thursday, the PML-N chief lashed out at Qadri.
“It may be up to the federal government to decide whether to allow Qadri’s march in Islamabad, but we will not allow him to take the country hostage with a few thousand followers,” he asserted.
Nawaz warned the Minhajul Quran chief that if he and his supporters tried to derail the democratic set-up, then PML-N too had the support of hundreds of thousands of people to counter any such move.
“I don’t know what Qadri’s agenda is, whether he is a puppet of local agencies or international lobbies… But what I do know is that he has returned to Pakistan to spread chaos in the country,” the PML-N chief contended. He maintained that Qadri, who holds a Canadian nationality, had no right to ask for people’s support to ‘wind up the democratic process and sabotage the upcoming elections’.
The PML-N chief claimed Qadri spent around Rs500 million on public gathering in Lahore and demanded that the matter be probed.
Nawaz also criticised the leadership of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) for lending support to Qadri’s long march and grander agenda.
“On one side, they are the coalition partners of the federal government… on the other, they intend to join the long march against it,” he observed, adding that both PML-Q and MQM need to ask their voters before siding with President Asif Ali Zardari or ‘Sheikhul Islam’.
Meanwhile, Talal Bugti seconded Nawaz’s stance that Qadri planned to derail democracy in the country, while speaking at the conference. He announced that JWP will contest the upcoming elections in alliance with PML-N.
Bugti also announced his long march towards Islamabad from interior Punjab against enforced disappearances. The JWP leader is scheduled to appear before the Supreme Court on January 12.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 4th, 2013.
COMMENTS (5)
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It has to be acknowledged that within a democratic nation its is the responsibility of the state to make sure that the civilians of the country are safeguarded. Pakistan is a country in which there is mass unemployment, a high level of poverty and continuous bomb blasts throughout the country on a daily basis. The fact that the government has not been able to tackle these issues proves that the government has absolutely failed.
The two main political parties of the country are made up of extremely rich families that spend billions on there election campaigns. Rather then the political system being open to any person who wishes to see the betterment of Pakistan it is controlled by those who have the majority of wealth, and they tailor the democratic system to suit there families.
Tahir ul Qadri has exercised his democratic right to protest, and therefore has organised a peaceful march with the masses that also wish to display there resentment towards the system. Tahir ul Qadri has done everything in line with democracy and wishes to go to islamabad to make sure that those articles within the constitution that were disregarded can be implemented and put into action, so that the Republic of Pakistan can truly be called a democratic nation.
Chaos only for status quo parties.
Nawaz Sharif Party PML N is a extremist party backed by Saudi Arabia, it supports and deals with the SSP and other banned outfits, Doesnt this make him a traitor. Those people who bomb, kill innocent Pakistanis are backed by PML N just for some seats in the parliament. These people are clearly enemies of Islam and Pakistan. They back those who bomb and kill innocent Pakistani citizens.Its ridiculous to say Dr Tahir ul Qadri has come to destabilise Pakistan. Isnt Pakistan already destabilised. Every citizen of Pakistan is under the threat of terriorism, over 40000 killed, 5000 troops killed, even the generals are under threat and Nawab Shareef thinks Dr Tahir ul Qadri who is only calling for reforms in the electrol system and neutral caretaker government a threat to Pakistan. What a cheap propaganda. I say dont look at the person or look at his beard but look at what he is calling for
Nawaz knows that he is going to win this time because the people are tired of PPP and he has the captive voted from feudal/wadera lands. Imran doesn't know how to engage in politics and with the feudal captive votes and rigging, he doesn't stand much chance. Qadri is palying spoilsport and Nawaz feels threatened obviously.
Shouldn't we be talking to the Canadian govt abt it