‘Qadri should pick someone his own size’

• Information minister advises Qadri to debate with Ashrafi rather than premier
• Ashrafi urges authorities to arrange Manazra, says Qadri will not face him

ISLAMABAD

AGENCIES

Reacting to Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri’s challenge to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for a debate, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervez Rashid Saturday advised Qadri to rather hold debate with Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Maulana Tahir Ashrafi, saying that he was ready to offer services of the state-run television for arranging the show.

“Ashrafi is enough to counter Qadri in a Manazra (open debate) and no PML-N leader was needed for the purpose,” Rashid said, scoffing that Qadri had come back to his original business of holding debates after giving a call for revolution.

In the meanwhile, Ashrafi boasted Saturday that Qadri was not capable of facing him in a ‘Manazra’.

Highlighting the need to hold a debate with Qadri on several issues, including political ones, he urged the media and political leaders to arrange the debate and see the results. He said that Qadri had arrived in the country to create unrest and chaos.

Earlier, the PAT chief had challenged Sharif for a debate on governance. He had said that it would be better for Sharif to decide the venue and date of the debate before the “day of revolution” so that it gets easier for him to find a “respectable way out of the government”.

“I will only debate with Sharif and no other,” Qadri had said, laying down his 20 points for the debate. Qadri’s points include interior and foreign affairs, accountability, electoral system, privatisation policy and staff recruitment methods in national institutions.