ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on late Thursday night announced that Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif has been appointed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as a 'mediator' and 'guarantor' for the current crisis between the govt and protestors in the federal capital.
Speaking to their respective supporters, Tahirul Qadri and Imran Khan said they have given the prime minister 24 hours upon Gen Sharif’s assurances.
Both of the leaders urged their supporters to stay in the federal capital for one more day and wait until the deadline ends so that they can plan a future course of action, after these latest developments.
Earlier in the day the
Wall Street Journalhad reported that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was close to reaching an agreement with the Army Chief General Raheel Sharif regarding important policy matters and to end the ongoing protests against the government.
Speaking to marchers on the day
dubbed by him as ‘Inquilab day’, PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri termed supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and his party as first cousins. He also said that he and PTI Chairman Imran Khan were brothers.
He said that they would not believe in reports that a First Information Report (FIR) in the Model Town tragedy case has been registered as desired by his party until he or his party’s counsel gets a copy of it.
Later, when local TV channels obtained a copy of the FIR, he rejected it, claiming Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s name was not included in it. He also said that sections of the Code of Criminal Procedure, pertaining to terrorism have also not been incorporated in the FIR.
Also read:
Model Town FIR registered against Nawaz, Shahbaz and 19 others
Thousands of protesters led by Dr Qadri and cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan have camped outside the Parliament in Islamabad to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and to bring reforms in the country’s electoral system.
As well as wide-ranging calls for political reform, the PAT chief has also demanded police bring murder charges against PM Nawaz and his borther Shahbaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab, over the killing of at least 11 of his followers in clashes with police in Lahore’s Model Town.
In his speech, Dr Qadri said today was the day of good riddance from all problems faced by the nation. “Today is the day to get freedom from economic and social exploitation,” he added.
“More than 100 million poor of this country are slaves of this corrupt and unjust system,” said the PAT chief.
Reading quotes of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah from the Constitution book, he said, “the cheque of Pakistan has been bounced as we are bankrupted.”
“Our rulers have money when it comes to corruption, buying journalists and anchorpersons and living a lavish life style … but, there is no money to resolve issues concerning poor masses of the country,” he added.
The anti-government cleric said that he and his supporters were there in the federal capital to fight for the rights of people and to fulfill the promise of the Constitution.
“We are here for upholding human rights values and to cash the cheque of Quaid-i-Azam.”
We have been involved at least seven to eight times in talks with the government to show our seriousness in resolving the issue amicably, he said.
Qadri rejects Model Town FIR
The PAT chief rejected the
FIR registered against 21 people in the Model Town tragedy,claiming Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s name was not included in it. He also said that sections of the Code of Criminal Procedure, pertaining to terrorism have also not been incorporated in the FIR.
“If we want Pakistan to be a great country making progress … If we want to be a great state, then we must be a true state, we must adopt the path of peace, democracy, tranquility, human rights and fundamental rights of every single poor person in the country,” he said.
“We must eliminate extremism and sectarianism from our society … transparency, accountability, rule of law for every rich and poor in this country, irrespective of creed or colour as envisioned by Quaid-i-Azam and that enjoyed by every democratic country in the world.”
“From all over Pakistan, we want peace and love, which will only be possible through revolution.”
Calling the 2013 general elections and current assemblies unconstitutional, the PAT said that through free and fair elections and the legal process, corrupt people must be weeded out.
“We want to stop the poor and the weak from being exploited. They must be given water and electricity,” said the Canada-based cleric, adding that, “We don’t want minorities to be minorities, they must be equal citizens in Pakistan.”
Govt given 24 hrs as Gen Raheel Sharif made 'mediator' - Pakistan - DAWN.COM
Imran Khan leaves container after nine days to meet hi-profile personals .........
(which was halal at that time)
