In the wake of Dr Tahirul Qadri’s announcement to carry out a long march, the federal cabinet on Thursday chalked out its strategy to deal with any post-march situation.
Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf informed the cabinet that he believed that establishment was not behind Dr Qadri.
After the cabinet meeting, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira told reporters Qadri’s long march was not on agenda of the cabinet, a source told Pakistan Today that most of the PPP ministers expressed grave concern over the objectives of Dr Qadri and said that the party leadership should deal with the matter cautiously.
“A senior member of the cabinet said if Qadri started a march from Lahore and he was not blocked en route to Islamabad, not only the followers of Qadri, but other people who are sick of the PPP’s mis-governance will also join the march which could surmount the government’s preparations,” he also said.
Source said that though the cabinet members looked concerned, the prime minister looked calm and said that the federal and Punjab governments would devise a joint strategy to deal with the issue.
“The cabinet resolved that for the time being, the PPP leaders must launch an awareness campaign to reveal the real face of Dr Qadri who was a compulsive liar and also was trying to fool the masses,” he added.
Briefing the media on the federal cabinet’s meeting, Kaira acknowledged the services of military and judiciary, but added that both the institutions have no role to play when it comes to constitutional legislation.
Kaira said it would be unfair to drag the institutions into politics, which had to go through great trouble to dissociate them from this ‘business’.
He told reporters that the meeting discussed nothing in connection with the long march. However, to questions in this regard, Kaira accused Tahirul Qadri of playing double politics. “On one hand he (Qadri) speaks in favour of the constitution, on the other hand hr deviates the same,” the minister said.
He advised Dr Qadri to first get his party registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan and then put forward his suggestions. Kaira said he could not disclose the government’s strategy over the long march, but added that security of Islamabad’s citizens was the state’s responsibility. The province concerned would provide security to the people on the routes through which the participants of the rally will pass, he added.
He said the cabinet meeting expressed serious concern on the issue of gas shortage in the country and formed a committee, comprising of three ministers, to resolve it. The cabinet also approved several agreements with other countries. Kaira said Dr Tahirul Qadri was not discussed during the meeting.
He added that current assemblies would complete their constitutional tenure till March 16, and general elections would be held from May 16. He said that Tahirul Qadri should contact Election Commission of Pakistan six month earlier when electoral reforms were being made in the country. He declared that only Parliament has right of law making.
He said that those who wanted to become Tehrir Square in Islamabad should learn lesson from PPP who rendered most sacrifices. Kaira said that it has not yet decided that any delegation would dialogue with Tahir ul Qadri. He said that if Qadri wants electoral reforms then he should first get register his party and informs EC about his electoral reforms.