Islamabad sit-in updates: Qadri gives govt 48-hour 'ultimatum' to meet his demands, step down
As the third round of talks between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ultimately ending in a stalemate on Saturday despite showing the most progress, supporters of PTI and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) continued their sit-in at D-Chowk in front of Parliament House.
The PTI on Saturday proposed that the prime minister resign for a period of 30 days during which a judicial commission works ‘independently’ to determine if the May 2013 elections were transparent. This demand though was rejected by the government, who said they had accepted almost all the other demands of the PTI.
The PTI has announced it will recommence its sit-in on Sunday evening with screens and mini-protests in other cities as well.
Separately, prime minister Nawaz Sharif has held talks with former president Asif Ali Zardari in Raiwind to seek a way out of the impasse. Read our report of that meeting, and Zardari’s subsequent press conference
here.
Earlier, PAT, PTI protesters marched into the Red Zone three days after their sit-ins began near Aabpara Chowk, read our coverage of march
here.
For our coverage of the sit-ins on August 23 and 22, visit
here; for August 20 and 21, visit
here.
Read our coverage of PTI’s Azadi March and the Inqilab March
here.
August 25, 7:04pm
Former president Asif Ali Zardari has called PTI chairman Imran Khan to discuss the prevailing political situation,
Express News reports.
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August 25, 6:30pm
Further, Imran says he has heard the PML-N is trying to create turmoil by holding their own rallies.
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August 25, 6:26pm
“Once we go from here, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will buy people and a free and fair inquiry to probe rigging allegations will not take place,” says PTI chairman Imran Khan.
August 25, 6:12pm
As both sit-ins continue outside Parliament House, former president Pervez Musharraf has requested a deferral of his high treason case citing political unrest.
Read
here for the full story.
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Meanwhile, Imran Khan has denied using ‘scandalous’ language as alleged by former CJP Iftikhar Chaudhry and has called on him to reconsider his damage suit against him.
Read our story on the PTI chief’s eight-page response to the former chief justice’s defamation notice against him over rigging allegations
here.
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August 25, 6:04pm
“I give a 48-hour ultimatum to government to meet my demands and step down,” says Qadri.
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August 25, 6:00pm
August 25, 5:52pm
The PAT chief says the judicial commission probing the Model Town clashes should submit its report before his ‘ultimatum’.
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August 25, 5:48pm
Qadri urges Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and other ministers to leave the government and step down, before he gives his deadline and time frame.
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August 25, 5:46pm
“No need for more evidence, the ECP’s spokesperson has admitted to rigging himself,” says Qadri.
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August 25, 5:44pm
Qadri says the truth has come out, as Afzal Khan has come forward with the revelation that 90% of the elections were rigged.
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August 25, 5:38pm
“The government held negotiations to waste time,” the PAT chief alleges.
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August 25, 5:30pm
Qadri says he will give an ultimatum and deadline to the government today.
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August 25, 5:25pm
Addressing his supporters, PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri has announced to turn his sit-in into a revolution.
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August 25, 5:15pm
The Supreme Court has given one day to the PAT and the PTI to clear Constitution Avenue for the free movement of traffic.
Read
here for the full story.
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August 25, 5:05pm
As the ongoing political crisis continues, the rupee has been in free fall as it further depreciated against the dollar, standing at Rs103 on Monday.
Read
here for the full story.
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August 25, 4:55pm
Meanwhile, a PTI core committee meeting has been summoned in Imran Khan’s container to draft a strategy for the next round of negotiations,
Express News reports.
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August 25, 4:50pm
Addressing the media after meeting JI leader Sirajul Haq, PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi says the government’s refusal for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to step down for 30 days, as requested by the PTI, indicates that it doesn’t want a solution to the current crisis.
“The minus-one formula is not our idea and we do not support it,” says the PTI vice chairman.
Meanwhile, Sirajul Haq says that the third round of talks ended on a positive note and both the government and PTI accept that dialogue is the only solution to the current crisis.
“PTI has adopted a realistic approach,” says the JI leader, referring to the flexibility shown by PTI in its demands to dissolve assemblies and hold mid-term elections.
August 25, 3:25pm
Talking to media representatives, MQM leader Babar Ghauri says that cases must be registered against those responsible for Model Town incidents.
He adds that MQM chief Altaf Hussain has said that the next 72 hours are crucial.
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August 25, 3:10pm
Talking to media representatives, PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi says that former additional secretary of the Election commission of Pakistan (ECP) Muhammad Afzal Khan’s revelations are shocking.
Qureshi says that Khan clarified that the ECP failed to fulfill their constitutional duties and carry out free and transparent elections.
“More than 35 constituencies were rigged,” he says, adding that the additional secretary mentioned things that Imran had earlier warned about.
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August 25, 2:35pm
Police stopped PAT workers from taking water from the Cabinet Division gate leading to confrontation between the two,
Express Newsreports.
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August 25, 2:17pm
During a hearing in the Supreme Court regarding the extra-constitutional moves in Pakistan, chief Justice Nasirul Mulk remarks that PTI and PAT should clear Shahrah-e-Dastoor as this route will be used to travel to the court tomorrow.
He lamented that there were clothes hanging from the Supreme Court building,
Express News reports.
Referring to Canada-based cleric Dr Tahirul Qadri’s ‘Inqilab March’, Justice Jawad S Khawaja quipped that “protests on streets must be the norm in Canada”.
The hearing was adjourned until August 27.
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August 25, 1:38pm
While you wait for more updates, here is interesting article by Dr Hasan Askari Rizvi, who questions why PML-N always faces crisis despite having a majority in the National Assembly.
Read:
The PML-N mandate.
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August 25, 1:17pm
Meanwhile, PAT chief Tahirul Qadri is expected to address his workers shortly, Express News reports.
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August 25, 1:12pm
PTI President Javed Hashmi has been recommended bed rest for at least two to three days, according the
Express News.
Hashmi has been admitted to PIMS due to fatigue, a throat infection, a small asthma attack and dehydration as result of the heat.
Read full story at:
Islamabad sit-in updates: Qadri gives govt 48-hour ‘ultimatum’ to meet his demands, step down – The Express Tribune
