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Qadri flays Sharifs, seeks justice for model town victims in Lahore sit-in

By Web Desk
August 16, 2017

LAHORE: The Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) held a protest sit-in on Mall Road against the 2014 police crackdown on the party workers that killed 14 people including women.

Leaders of opposition parties including the PTI, Jamaat-e-Islami, Awami Muslim League and Pakistan Muslim League-Q also attended the protest.

Addressing the participants, PAT chief Tahirul Qadri said the rally was held to express solidarity with the victims of the police crackdown and pressure the authorities to release Justice Baqar Najfi Commission's report into the bloodshed.

He claimed that the report declared Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif responsible for the incident. " Shahbaz Sharif Sahib, Why don't you disclose the report, if you think you are not responsible," said he.   

Qadri said his party would  hold more rallies in Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Multan as part of its campaign to get justice for victims of model town incident after Eidul Azha.

Qadri said Nawaz Sharif, who is talking of restoring sanctity of vote, was the one who violated that sanctity by distributing money among MNAs and MPAs in order to buy their loyalties in 80s. He said Sharif brought down Benazir Bhutto's government in collusion with the then president of the country.   

The cleric said Nawaz Sharif introduced dirty politics in the country. "You are about to be hanged in Model Town case," Qadri said referring to Sharif brothers. 

He said the long dark night in Pakistan would not come to end until Sharif brothers are brought to justice.

The PAT chief said Nawaz Sharif's revolution is aimed at striping judiciary of powers. 

The Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) has been permitted to stage sit-in after the party assured a five-member committee set up by the Lahore High Court and comprising DC Lahore, CCPO Lahore, Advocate General Punjab and counsels for traders and PAT that it would wrap it up by 10:00pm after Tahir-ul-Qadri’s speech.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday, hearing a petition against PAT’s scheduled sit-in, directed the Punjab government, petitioner and the PAT to jointly formulate the strategy regarding it else the court would decide the matter itself.