ISLAMABAD:
A day full of suspense and media speculation capped with an ominous warning from Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) leader Dr Tahirul Qadri. “Tomorrow [Thursday] will be the day of revolution in which you will decide the final course of action,” he told thousands of his supporters who have been camping on the Constitution Avenue outside the Parliament House for the last nine days.
He made the address after the last round of talks between him and government negotiators collapsed late Wednesday night. He was flanked by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan and Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, who were mediating between a government negotiating team, comprising Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid and Mian Javed Shafi, and the PAT chief.
Qadri was supposed to make the final speech at 9:30pm but delayed it to wait for the final word from the government on his two preliminary demands: registration of an FIR in the Model Town killings and resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
“I regretfully announce that talks with the government have failed and there will be no more talks with any representative of the government,” the PAT chief said and asked the government not to send its negotiators for negotiations. “Doors have been slammed shut on dialogue,” he added.
“Tomorrow will be the day of revolution and you all should prepare for this day,” Qadri said, addressing his followers who waved their hands and chanted slogans. He also called upon people in nearby regions, Rawalpindi and Hazara divisions in particular, to flock to the Constitution Avenue on Thursday as he was also fighting a battle for their rights.
In an earlier round of talks held in the evening, Qadri had set two preconditions for the continuation of further talks on his other demands. The first precondition was immediate registration of FIR against 21 people – including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif – who he held responsible for the killing of his 14 supporters and injuring 90 others in Model Town on June 17. The second demand was immediate resignation of Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif.
The government negotiating team went to convey the demands to the prime minister, promising to get back to the PAT chief at 9:30pm. They came late only with the government’s response. “The government refused to meet our two demands,” Qadri said. “Now the dialogue option has been exhausted,” he added.
The PAT chief said that he gave dialogue a chance till the last moment, but the government was not willing for a meaningful dialogue to resolve the issue. “The government is not ready even to register an FIR against those who had killed innocent people in Model Town,” he said.
“Now we will take our [final] decision. We have fulfilled our responsibility to absolve ourselves of the blame,” Qadri said. “We will not delay the revolution anymore.”
On his part, Dr Ishratul Ebad said the government should accept all legitimate demands of PAT under the framework of the Constitution. “If the legitimate demands are not accepted, then Muttahida Quami Movemnt (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain will not remain silent,” he added.
He said he and Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar had listened to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as well as Dr Tahirul Qadri and both expressed a desire to resolve the issues through talks.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 28th, 2014.
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