PAT sit-in
Demands Gen Raheel to try killers in military courts
LAHORE: Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT) chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri has demanded the chief of army staff get his party justice through military courts for the 14 workers shot dead by police two years back against the rulers.
“It was Army chief who intervened to get our FIR registered after the government and courts kept denying it. And it is he who is going to get us blood for blood through military courts otherwise we will never get any justice in the presence of the present rulers,” he said while addressing a charged crowd of male and female workers at the sit-in on the Mall road Lahore early Saturday morning shortly before the Sehri time, which was held to mark the second anniversary of Model Town killings.
Qadri extensively criticised the judiciary and government for making a number of delaying tactics, disagreed with Awami Muslim League leader Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad who had asked the crowd to get ready for waging a final agitation movement against the rulers between July 10 and September 10. Qadri said he saw them (rulers) meet their deaths much before September, and added that such cruel criminals could not last that long against the angel of death who were hovering over their heads.
Tahirul Qadri asked the crowd if they were ready to continue the sit-in till they get Qisas (Arabic term for life for life). But after the entire crowd repeatedly answered in loud ‘Yes’, Dr Qadri announced to postpone the sit-in till the time ‘we feel we are being denied justice, and then we could come again to stage the longest sit-in of Lahore’s history.’ He asked the crowd to end the sit-in after Sehri peacefully, saying during the negotiations with the government his party’s secretarty generl Khurarm Nawaz Gandapur had given the word that the sit-in would be of one day and would end after Sehri. Also, “aitekaaf” time was approaching, he added.
“I do not want to go back on our word, and want the nation to learn to keep their words.” Before announcing to return, Qadri created a suspenseful situation by first saying that ‘we can sit here for as long as required.” He even held the hands of Sh Rahseed Ahmand and Jammat Islami leader Liaqat Baloch, saying both of them would be sitting with him at the sit-in for as long as required. But then, announced that the sit-in would end as per the words given to the government.
Dr Qadri was accompanied by the leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, PML-Q, MQM, Majlis-e-Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen and Awami Muslim League.
