Removing obstacles: Govt will provide tight security to Qadri's long march, says Malik

Malik met Qadri in Lahore, discussed security of proposed long march. Islamabad's commissioner expresses...

LAHORE: Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Monday assured Minhajul Quran International (MQI) Chief Dr Tahirul Qadri that tight security will be provided to the participants of his long march scheduled for January 14, even though the chief commissioner Islamabad expressed reservations.

He was speaking during a joint press conference with Qadri in Lahore.

Rehman further said that he has nominated Islamabad commissioner and IG police from the government’s side to work with Qadri's staff to ensure security.

“I’m here to facilitate him; we are not going to resist the march and we will work out the security issues,” he emphasised.

Speaking about the MQI agenda, Rehman said we all want an evil-free Pakistan and the points raised by Qadri are all valid.

Qadri had announced to lead a long march to Islamabad on January 14 if the current government fails to fix the system.

The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) decided to join the long march despite being a part of the current setup.

Islamabad commissioner expresses reservations

Just hours after Interior Minister Rehman Malik announced that they would facilitate Minhajul Quran chief’s rally by providing security, his liason expressed doubt at hosting the proposed rally in the capital, Express News reported.

Chief Commissioner Islamabad Tariq Mahmood Pirzada in a letter to Secretary Interior has refused to host the “million man march” citing logistical issues and terrorism threats.

Pirzada wrote that that the influx of 2 million people into a place like Islamabad would be impossible given space restraints.

Islamabad, a city of a million people and one with numerous sensitive installations including the President house, Prime Minister house, the Parliament, Supreme Court and the diplomatic enclave along with a number of other important government buildings cannot be host to such a large number of people.

The chief commissioner said that that accommodating so many people in Islamabad will cause problem in the movement of foreign diplomats.

He added that the demand for staging a demonstration on Constitution avenue in front of the the Parliament and Supreme Court was egregious since there was not enough space to accommodate that many people.

The commissioner further voiced his concern that Dr Tahirul Qadri was on the hit list of militants and that any terrorist could enter the red zone posing as a participant of the rally and wreck havoc.

Long march not meant to delay elections

Talking to the media after Malik, Qadri said that his charter of demands calling for electoral reforms does not include anything unconstitutional, nor does it call for postponement of elections.

The MQI chief said that he does not intend to derail democracy, rather wants to strengthen it. He said his charter seeks to build capacity, the space in law to hold elections in the manner enshrined in the constitution.

Qadri added that they did not speak on the terms of the charter of demands. “It is correct that we did not have negotiations on terms. Since I had made it clear that if there are any negotiations on electoral reforms, then they will be held with the prime minister in the presence of other cabinet members, including Rehman Malik.”

“The movement is not to favour any particular party or group but to make the democratic setup in the country subject to the constitution.”

“Our objective is to make democracy in Pakistan true, and for the public. To get people their rights back. For the supremacy of the Constitution,” said Qadri.