A crucial meeting between Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Tehreek-e-Minjahjul Quran chief Tahirul Qadri is most likely to be held today (Monday) in Lahore. Sources said during the meeting, Malik would convey President Asif Ali Zardari’s special message to Qadri, convincing him to call off the announced January 14 long march in the wake of the imminent threats of the Taliban, striking the long march participants. The sources said Malik would make possible a telephonic contact between President Asif Ali Zardari and Tahirul Qadri.
Qadri warns authorities against stopping his long march
Tehreeke Minhajul Quran chief Dr Tahirul Qadri warned the federal and Punjab governments against stopping his march to Islamabad. Addressing a press conference, he insisted his march would be peaceful and warned that he would not be able to control his workers if the government attempted to halt the long march. He also warned the Punjab government against harassing his party workers and threatened that half of the participants would march to Lahore while the other half to Islamabad if efforts were made to stop the march. “We want to change the system through elections, not political parties,” he said. “It would be decided on 14th January in Islamabad whether the looters, or their victims, will rule this country,” he said. “I want to remind PPP workers of Zulfiqar Ali Bhuttos’ slogan of Roti, Kapra, and Makaan. The masses have been deprived of all three,” he added.