Seven-day APC deadline for Shahbaz, Rana Sana

LAHORE: An all parties conference (APC) chaired by PAT head Dr Tahirul Qadri on Saturday gave a seven-day deadline ending on January 7 for the resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah over their alleged involvement in the Model Town carnage.

The new deadline is an extension to the previous one – Dec 31 – given earlier by Qadri.

The APC through a joint declaration called for action against the elements responsible for the June 2014 Model Town tragedy and decided to form a steering committee, which would announce future line of action on January 8, which may include sit-ins and demonstrations in Lahore and other parts of the province. The steering committee will comprise members from PPP, PTI, MQM, PAT and PSP, the media was told.

The meeting called for immediate resignation of Shahbaz and Rana Sana, saying after the release of Justice Baqar Najfi report, those responsible for the Model Town firing on the citizens of Pakistan had no justification to remain in office.

The APC demanded that the provincial assemblies and the Senate should pass resolutions regarding the resignation demand. It asked the Chief Justice of Pakistan to form a JIT to probe the killings, saying the investigation team should be monitored by a Supreme Court judge.

Meanwhile, the joint declaration also rejected any leniency or NRO for the Sharif brothers under internal or foreign influence. It also condemned the amendment in the finality of prophethood declaration and called for exemplary punishment for the elements responsible for it.

Main participants of the APC were: PPP leaders Manzoor Wattoo, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Sardar Latif Khosa and Rehman Malik; PTI’s Jehangir Tareen, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Shafqat Mehmood; PML-Q’s Kamil Ali Agha; MQM-Pakistan head Dr Farooq Sattar; Liaquat Baloch, Dr Fareed Paracha of Jamaat-e-Islami; PSP Chairman Mustafa Kamal; AML President Sheikh Rashid; Muslim Conference head Sardar Attique; Majlis Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen Secretary-General Raja Nasir Abbas; and members from legal fraternity including Ahsan Bhoon, Chaudhry Zulfiqar and others. Leadership of around 40 parties attended the APC.

Addressing a press conference after the moot, Qadri said the sit in this time round would put an end to the PML-N rule and all parties had united for the purpose. He added that the parties united on one point agenda would strive to bring change under the constitutional ambit.

Qadri said the Sharif brothers were responsible for polluting political system of the country as they introduced the Changa Manga culture and conspired against democratic governments.

He said he was grateful to all the parties who had gathered to ensure justice for the Model Town victims, adding, “From today onward, it’s not the movement of PAT but for all the likeminded forces who were here to plead the case of Model Town affectees.”

Moreover, he said, the parties attending the gathering were here to strengthen and protect the institutions well as purging the country of the elements who wanted to make it as their family fief.

Qadri said the constitutional amendment in the clause related to the finality of prophethood was an attack on the faith of Muslims. He held Nawaz Sharif and his party responsible for this and stated that the mastermind behind the amendment had neither been brought to the fore nor punished. Meanwhile, MQM-Pakistan head Farooq Sattar didn’t sign the joint declaration, as he told the media after the APC that the steering committee formed to decide to future line of action should be mandated to decide about the issue related to the resignation of Shahbaz and Rana Sana. He added that the demand for resignation shouldn’t be mentioned in the APC declaration. Earlier, the MQM-Pakistan chief left the APC without signing the joint declaration.