Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) leader Dr Tahirul Qadri on Tuesday threatened to sue the federal government and Emirates Airlines for Rs 10 billion for diverting his plane from Islamabad to Lahore on Monday.
Addressing a press conference along with a delegation of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Qadri alleged that the government had hijacked his plane carrying 276 passengers.
QADRI EYES LAWFUL REVENGE:
Qadri said that policemen in civilian dresses were used to carry out terrorism at Islamabad airport, which was blamed on PAT’s unarmed civilians. He alleged that police were used for state terrorism. He claimed that the police had hired hundreds of ‘Gullu Butts’ to pose as PAT workers. He said that 1,400 PAT workers were arrested and booked under anti-terrorism clauses, which was unprecedented in the country’s history.
“The Punjab police opened teargas on the people in Islamabad when they were offering Fajr prayer. They had come to Islamabad for my reception,” he said. He alleged that the police was conducting raids to arrest leaders of PAT at district, tehsil and union council level in a bid to quell their movement.
Qadri said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had repeated Lahore’s June 17 tragedy in the twin cities.
He said that if his party believed in politics of revenge, he would have “ordered his workers to storm Raiwind palaces when the Sharif brothers were vandalising his residence in Lahore”.
He vowed to avenge the deaths of his party workers in the Model Town carnage by adopting a legal course against Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif. “We will take revenge of state terrorism through law,” he said.
Qadri called for the resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and said that the police officers concerned should also be terminated. He called for the formation of a joint investigation team excluding police personnel, to investigate the incident.
The PAT leader also maintained that he would not go abroad until the incumbents are removed.
QADRI SUPPORTS NWA OPERATION:
Qadri announced his complete support to Pakistan’s armed forces, and said Operation Zarb-e-Azb is justified and in accordance with Islamic teachings, adding that the armed forces are waging Jihad against terrorists in the country.
Qadri said, “From this Friday, I appeal to everyone to stage peaceful rallies in support of Zarb-e-Azb,” adding that the operation is a jihad against terrorists.
IDP ASSISTANCE:
Qadri also announced that PAT and Minhajul Quran International (MQI) would send 25,000 bags of food and medicines to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.
He advised his workers to set up donation camps and said he would visit IDP camps soon. He demanded the federal government to allocate funds for IDPs in the budget for fiscal year 2014-15.