Gandapur records statement in ATC

Says he was forced to bar PAT chief from
launching anti-govt movement

LAHORE: Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) General Secretary Khurram Nawaz Gandapur on Tuesday recorded his statement before an anti-terrorism court claiming the Sharif brothers had forced and threatened him to bar Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri from coming to Pakistan and initiating a movement against the government over unemployment.

The PAT general secretary while recording his statement before the court said that on June 15, 2015, he and his companions Fayyaz Warraich and Syed Altaf Hussain Shah were taken to H Block of Model Town where Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Hamza Shahbaz, Chaudhry Nisar, Khwaja Saad Rafiq, Abid Sher Ali, Rana Sanaullah, Pervaiz Rashid and Khwaja Asif were present. He said Sharif brothers in commanding way asked them to stop Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri from coming to Pakistan and launching movement against the government over the issue of unemployment.

He said when they refused them they became furious and said that they would crush the movement. Then they said that they had made a committee comprising Chaudhry Nisar, Khwaja Saad Rafiq and Rana Sanaullah which would monitor the movement and would tackle it, Gandapur added.

Gandapur said Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rashid who was present on that occasion gave a threatening statement saying that “they would not accept until they are punched”.

He said then the police attacked Minhajul Quran Secretariat and killed workers of the party on the spot. He said the government rather than consoling the bereaved families lodged fake FIRs against them. The counsel of the PAT said that 56 witnesses had recorded their statement while Gandapur was the last witness who appeared to record his statement about the incident.

Later, talking to the reporters, Khurram Nawaz Gandapur said he believed in judiciary and would get justice. The court adjourned proceedings until September 27. Gandapur had secured a protective bail from the Lahore High Court in first FIR registered against him and other leaders of the party regarding the Model Town incident. Fourteen people were killed and 100 others were injured when police attacked Minhajul Quran secretariat in Model Town on June 17, 2014 over a matter of removal of barriers put on the roads leading to the secretariat building.