LAHORE:
After a dramatic homecoming punctuated with hiccups, Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri arrived in Pakistan on Monday as the ‘harbinger of a revolution’ — one that ‘will topple the incumbent government’ and rid the country of a myriad of crises.
The Emirates Airline flight EK-612, with 350 passengers on board including Dr Qadri, his aides and media persons, was scheduled to land at Benazir International Airport in Islamabad where a large number of frenzied PAT workers had turned up after defying barricades and roadblocks and after clashing with riot police.
Once the situation started slipping out of its control, the government diverted the flight to Lahore citing security fears. When the flight landed at the Allama Iqbal International Airport, Dr Qadri refused to disembark from the plane. A sizable number of PAT workers had turned up at the airport at short notice to receive their leader.
The Lahore Division commissioner, AIG Police, CCPO and MQM politicians initiated negotiations with Dr Qadri – but in vain. The PAT chief said he would not disembark until the corps commander Lahore or his emissary guaranteed his security because he feared “the Sharifs might have deployed terrorists in police uniform to target me en route to my residence”.
If that is not possible, Dr Qadri said the same flight should be sent back to Islamabad where his supporters had gathered to welcome him. He refused to budge on the two demands.
However, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad saved the situation. He called up Dr Qadri and convinced him to hold talks with Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar. He also informed Dr Qadri that the airline has threatened to lodge a plane hijacking complaint which would tarnish Pakistan’s image internationally.
That is when the PAT chief relented.
The Punjab governor boarded the plane and assured Dr Qadri that all his legitimate demands would be met, if he called off his protest. The five-hour-long standoff ended and Dr Qadri left the plane. He, however, refused to travel in the bullet-proof SUV of the Punjab governor and instead called for PML-Q senior leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi to come and accompany him.
Cellular services remained suspended in the city during the entire episode. Even the LCDs installed in the waiting lounge were switched off to avoid updates from reaching the PAT activists gathered there. The routine flight operation wasn’t affected, though. A heavy contingent of police was deployed in and around the airport. The police had established pickets on all roads leading to the airport.
Dr Qadri was driven first to Jinnah Hospital where he enquired after the health of party workers who were injured in the June 17 Model Town tragedy. After spending two hours at the hospital, he left for his residence in Model Town from where he went to the Central Secretariat of Minhajul Quran International to address a news conference.
“The world has seen revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and Iran. Now, it will see a revolution in Pakistan,” an emotionally charged Qadri told a news conference at the Central Secretariat of Minhajul Quran International.
Dr Qadri accused the government of ‘hijacking’ his flight. “The government has committed another act of terrorism by hijacking my plane,” he added. “State terrorism cannot stop me, and today I’m in your midst to lead the revolution.”
“The government has perpetrated the worst kind of atrocities against PAT workers – which is unprecedented in the country’s history,” he said. He congratulated his supporters for putting up against state terrorism for 14 hours on June 17. He was referring to the deadly police crackdown on PAT workers at the Minhajul Quran Secretariat which left a dozen protesters dead.
Dr Qadri told his followers that they have set the revolution in motion by sacrificing their lives. “Our revolution is unstoppable now. It will see the end of the present government,” he said, adding that they would avenge all the atrocities committed by the government on the PAT workers.
“O, Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif, commit atrocities on my workers that you can bear [after the revolution],” he said. He added that the media would be his right hand in bringing about the revolution.
The PAT chief said the war that he has waged against the ‘corrupt rulers’ was not for his personal gain. “I command respect for my knowledge of the Holy Quran and Hadith. I’ve come back to lead this war for the common man.”
Dr Qadri, who is also a Canadian national, said that he has brought along all that he owned in Canada. “I haven’t even left back a single pair of shoes or socks,” he claimed. He said that he has come back to fight the oppression of the Sharif brothers.
The Chaudhrys of Gujrat, who head their own faction of Pakistan Muslim League, have joined hands with the PAT chief in an anti-government alliance. Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has also lent support to Dr Qadri in his struggle. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan has been noncommittal, though he condemned the June 17 crackdown on PAT workers.
Dr Qadri said he would announce his future plan of action after consulting likeminded political groups. “The rulers will attempt to flee the country – but we’ll not allow them to flee. We’ll recover the looted money and land from them,” he added. “I’ll not hold any political office after the revolution. I’ll lead the revolution and elections will be conducted under my supervision.”
The news conference was held in the courtyard of the Minhajul Quran Secretariat where a large number of his party workers and media persons were present. When the news conference began at 7:30pm, it started raining – but no one budge from his/her place.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 24th, 2014.
COMMENTS (26)
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@Indian:
Well said. Greatly appreciate your comments - said what I was thinking.
@Indian: I appreciate you candid comments and you are right in saying that Pakistanis should take the responsibilty for themselves. Unfortunately the Chief Minister Shabaz Sharif has over reacted and it caused mayhem killing 12 and injuring 80, there got to be some accountability but I see none. As I have said earliar that to calm the situation, it will be worth while for Shabaz Sharif to resign and take the responsibility since the orders came from his office. In democracies the leadship don't just go around and killing it's own citizens because they don't agree with them politically. Personally I have no use for this guy Qadri but he does have some following and they should be accommodated for their views, perhaps I am too naive to think in these terms. Thank you for being so kind and hope people in Pakistan should think for what you have said.
Just look at who he is with and reality of revolution will dawn on you. Politics of personal enmities must end.
A change just for the sake of change is never a wise idea. Sometime it back fires, see the examples of Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, Libya and so many more. Why does this guy want to change the system? What's his issue with the present setup? Present govt's only fault is that they didn't deal with him maturely. And has this gentleman given any blueprint of a plan that he wants to implement to improve your living condition. And secondly if he has the plan, has he any experience of implementing any of his ideas anywhere. And if this govt falls today, has he got a team ready to take over the responsibility?? His supporters, just think about the consequences before you come down to streets in his support. And if his supporters ask me that being an Indian why I am worried, my answer is that I love the land and don't want it covered with blood shed.
@THE There is a difference between 'shooting' people and 'killing' them. The number of martyrs from this incident are confirmed to be around 12 while those who got shot are said to be 80-100. Allah knows best.
@Umer: STOP SPREADING INCORRECT INFORMATION!! The number is not 80 but 8 or 11 depending on who you want to believe but NOT 80. All of us want change but it's not going to come in the form of an impostor who has no legitimacy whatsoever and wants to use poor/ignorant people for his own personal gain.
Qadri lives in Canada, owns a bunglow in posh area of Lahore, roams in bullet-proof SUVs and travels by 1st class air tickets.... just like his dreams, this guy lives in fool's paradise and those who still follow him are no different from him.
Dr. Qadri wants to bring revolution ( by toppling PMLN). will this revolution help redress the grievances of common men i.e. employment, reduction in inflation and equal opportunities to all to improve their well being. Will the poor get quality education ( worldly education in the language of religious scholars) current Madarassa education has proved its inability to get employment/ start business. Will Dr. Qadari display any road-map to eradicate these problems. Does Dr. Qadri possess the ability to solve energy crisis. Sorry to say he does not have the vision or the ability in these line. How can one he convince that after so called revolution the next government/ dictator/ group of persons will be any better in governance. Religious people has done more harm in governing than the corrupt / short sighted politicians.
@Indian:
This "democratically elected govt" has just shot 80 innocent people. This is unacceptable and unconstitutional. This government has lost its legitimacy.
Traveling business class and using bullet proof vehicles: excuse us for being skeptical of your intentions and abilities, Mr. Qadri. And please clarify if your threat of war is against the Sharif brothers as individuals or as office bearers of the State of Pakistan. You do know what the latter translates into, right?
@Mirza: I wonder why I see same type if comments from certain Sir names all my life. Something in the name that is a mystery, that it bring out similar vibes. Including our politicians and other common names. What's wrong with people, why do they have such negative thinking about their neighbors. I mean it's not their responsibility to run another country from outside. If we only mind our business all will be fine, really!
My dear Pakistani friends, please wake up before it's too late. You guys should let the democratically elected govt to perform. Progress doesn't happen overnight but takes years of painstaking planning & hard work. If you force your own govt to spend it's energy & resources on petty issues then how can you expect them to improve your living conditions. And what makes you think that this gentleman will bring revolution - a person who doesn't even likes to live in this country and is a Canadian citizen??? Does he posses a magic wand that makes you believe that he'll improve your living conditions? Come to the reality, if you think there is something in the govt/society that needs to be fixed then it can be (and will be) fixed only by you guys - charity begins at home. Change your habits and be responsible of yourself. And look at the event of past couple of weeks and try to analyze how much destruction you have caused to the nation and then you expect govt to fix the economy. And by the way, who will pay for this destruction?
He is such a cry baby...
pmln government is trying very hard to stir up a revolution against itself.
After Cathy Pacific no airline of repute flies to Pakistan except middle eastern airlines. It is about time that Emirates should also stop flying to Pakistan. The future of new Pakistan can be seen as the writing on the wall is becoming clearer.
Thanks to the Governor of Sindh, Dr Ishratul Ibad's quick thinking to call Qadri and arrange for this deal, or we would have had an international incident & domestic crises at our hands with grave consequences for Pakistan and it's political reputation. No wonder he is kept in power, possibly for such talent, in our crises prone government.
Why allow a foreign citizen to come in and wreak havoc. Saw him on a television interview and saw someone drunk with power. Within the last few months we've had to deal with the cartoon from England and now with this guy.
Pakistan is not going to get better .... its going to get worse - would be a better place had the British stilled ruled.
To calm down this situation, it will be prudent decision on part of Shabaz Sharif to resign and make sure that those who ordered that mayhem be brought to justice. We do know now that the orders did emanated from his office and he can not shirk the responsibility for killing 10-12 protesters and injuring 80. Unfortunately in our society we just don't resign, it is because we think we earned this chair of power and by golly will stick to it regardless of the consequences, perhaps his brother should fire him to minimize the heat on him any more as he did commit highjacking of a foreign airliner according to the international rules and regulations but they don't care as long as they remain in power.
So qadri is brining change and inquillab but he is walking with chaudhry of gujrat, hmmm. So inquillab does not apply to corrupt politicians of other parties?
nut case. this guy was saying he will accept martyrdom and is not scared...but needs a bullet proof car, army security etc to come out of the plane.
living in fools paradise........ Bringing revolution in bullet proof car..... More than a coward....????
qadri the great, he'll bring revolution and conquer pakistan. he'll be our president. he will wipe out load shedding, porverty and rigged elections. he's the lnly saviour of pakistan. Go qadri, PTI is with you!
This whole drama would have been stopped had this dumb government not felt so insecure and scared.
If he had been allowed to arrive in Islamabad, he would have not got this much attention. The incompetent government is getting near day by day to its own destruction.
one fake lion against another fake lion ,nothing will happen when will both will work on same salary !
Without the support of the powerful establishment, Qadri won't be talking so vociferously about overthrowing the Government. Qadri cannot ensure that the replacement govt would be non-sectarian.
Height of insanity!