Opposition protest to start with rally at The Mall: Qadri

LAHORE: The alliance of opposition parties, headed by Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri, has announced starting its proposed agitation movement against the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) government by staging a protest at The Mall Lahore on January 17.

Addressing the media after a meeting of multi-party conference (MPC) action committee at PAT Secretariat on Thursday, Dr Qadri said the opposition parties have decided to begin the show of public power against the corrupt and cruel rulers for seeking justice for the Model Town victims and minor girl Zainab of Kasur.

He said the central leadership of member parties of the MPC was expected to participate in the launch of agitation movement. He said the action committee would meet on Jan 16 at PAT Secretariat to decide about the strategy for the next phases after Jan 17.

Dr Qadri was flanked by the central leaders of the alliance including Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri, Jahangir Khan Tareen, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Senator Kamil Ali Agha, Manzoor Wattoo, Aleem Khan, Khurram Gandapur, Nasir Sherazi, Shoaib Siddiqui, Fayyaz Warraich and others.

Dr Qadri warned that the opposition alliance had kept all options open and was ready to go to any extent to overthrow the corrupt rulers, who had been obstructing the justice for victim families of Model Town killings and the family of Zainab. He said as long as the present rulers were in power, justice could not be dispensed to the oppressed masses.

He said the opposition parties had decided to keep their protests within the provisions of the Constitution. He warned the government against using force to obstruct the protest movement, adding that consequences of police crackdown and government highhandedness would lie with the rulers. He held Punjab Home Minister Rana Sanaullah responsible for the murder-cum-rape of minor girl Zainab in Kasur and demanded his immediate resignation.

Earlier, Dr Qadri and opposition leaders participated in the protest march of school children titled ‘Justice for Zainab’ under the PAT aegis. The protestors were raising slogans against the rulers and holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans for quick justice for victims’ families and punishment for the police and administration officials for meting out cruelty to the protestors.

Addressing the protest march, the opposition leaders warned that the time had come for masses to march on Jati Umrah for snatching justice from the clutches of cruel rulers. They expressed gratitude for Chief Justice of Pakistan for taking suo motu notice of Zainab murder and for Army chief for directing speedy investigation and arrest of the culprits.