Imran accepted PAT sit-in was the real factor, says Raheeq

LONDON: Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) President Dr Raheeq Abbasi has said that recent evidence has proven that PAT activists provided impetus to dharna in Islamabad for over two months and with the departure of PAT from the Red Zone, it became a lackluster affair.
Dr Abbasi said that the PAT had taken its movement nationwide after departing from the Red Zone. Answering a question as to what he made of Imran Khan’s statement that pressure on Nawaz Sharif’s government eased significantly and the government walked away from the talks after Dr Tahirul Qadri announced to end his dharna and held rallies across Pakistan.
Dr Abbasi said that Imran Khan’s statement is admission of the fact that it was PAT’s dharna that mattered really and brought genuine pressure on the government. He said that Imran Khan’s statement was in fact a tribute to the dharna of Dr Qadri which showed that Dr Qadri had a genuine and loyal following who didn’t follow Dr Qadri blindly but believed in him and trusted him because he had trained them on ideological base.
Dr Abbasi said that few other parties matched this level of ideological commitment. “That’s the strength of our movement. Those who support Dr Qadri’s vision for a progressive and moderate Pakistan share his belief system which is based on Islam’s peaceful teachings and draw its influence from the original peaceful teachings of Islam, not the distorted version of religion.”
Dr Qadri said that PAT’s sympathies remained with PTI and other “anti-status-quo” parties and will continue to support them in their struggle against the “corrupt system” through all possible means.
He said that PAT had no intention of getting into an alliance at this stage but its doors remained open. He said the decision to enter into electoral politics was taken to provide relief to masses at a wider scale by becoming part of the governing system. “Our experience in relief work shows that help can be provided only to a limited number of people through charitable approach but to help the masses at the grand scale, you must be inside the system of governance to reform it and help others,” said Dr Abbasi while talking to The News.