QADRI EYES A ‘REVOLUTION’ TODAY

• PAT chief announces ‘Youm-e-Inqilab’ as talks with govt ‘completely fail’ after PM refuses to get FIR registered against himself and 20 others for Model Town murders, send Shahbaz Sharif packing
• Qadri asks supporters to congregate at sit-in venue at 4pm where he will ‘transfer his powers to them for considering future course of action’
• Info minister says govt was ready to get FIR registered but had asked for ‘release of women and children held hostage at Qadri’s sit-in’
• Sindh governor hints MQM might throw weight behind PAT chief’s legal demands

Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri late on Wednesday set the stage for a final showdown with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after decisive talks between the two sides “completely failed” after the prime minister refused to budge on Qadri’s demands for registration of a case against the 21 accused, including Sharif himself, for the Model Town murders and the resignation of his younger brother, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

Following two rounds of talks with federal ministers Ishaq Dar and Zahid Hamid, Qadri announced that the dialogue process with the government had “completely failed”.

“We had told the government’s negotiation team that if they were ready to accept our first two demands, then instead of informing us send the SHO Faisal Town Police to the station so that FIR is registered. Resignations of chief minister and prime minister aside, the government is not even ready to register the FIR of the Model Town incident,” Qadri told his supporters, adding that the government delegation should not bother coming back “as we gave dialogue a chance till the very end”.

“Thursday will be Youm-e-Inqilab (Revolution Day),” the PAT chief told his supporters, adding that “We will not go forward from tomorrow (Thursday) as it will be the deciding day.”

“I will not hold you here any further. The Inqilab March and sit-in will end on Thursday. Time has come for all people to leave their homes and join the final struggle for their liberation from the corrupt and oppressive regime,” said Qadri, adding that he would “transfer the powers to the people to decide their future course of action at 4pm”.

The PAT chief also rechristened Constitution Avenue as “Revolution Avenue”.

MQM HINTS AT QADRI SUPPORT:

The two government ministers had earlier in the evening met with the PAT chief where they gave assurance that they would return with Prime Minister Sharif’s consent.

Following the evening meeting, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan and Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar also met with the PAT chief.

Dispelling the notion that the two governors wanted to woo Qadri to end his protest, the PAT chief said that they were only visiting to show solidarity with the marchers.

Addressing the protesters before Qadri, the Sindh governor said they wanted to show solidarity with the protesters that is why they were there.

Ibad said the government should accept all the legitimate demands of Qadri.

“The MQM would also participate in the ongoing anti-government protest demonstrations if the demands are not met,” Ibad warned, but added that his party would continue making efforts to resolve the issue amicably.

RASHID SAYS GOVT WAS READY FOR ‘FAKE’ FIR:

Commenting on the breakdown of talks with the PAT chief, Federal Minister for Information Pervaiz Rashid said that the government was even ready to get a “false” FIR registered against the prime minister and the other 20 persons nominated by Qadri but it had set only one condition.

“The government had asked the PAT chief to ‘free’ women and children being held hostage at the sit-in after which the government would ask police to register the FIR but Qadri had refused to submit to the condition,” he said, laying the onus of the talks breakdown on the PAT chief.

LAHORE POLICE ABANDON STATION:

Earlier in the evening, Lahore’s Faisal Town Police Station kept delaying registration of the FIR on one pretext or the other.

A day after the Lahore High Court upheld a session court’s decision to register FIR against the PML-N’s top leadership, a team of PAT lawyers arrived at the Faisal Town Police Station, however, no duty officer was present at the station to approve the registration of the FIR.

“We are being asked to register the FIR after an hour,” a PAT lawyer had told Pakistan Today at around 8pm, adding that there was no one present at the station to register the FIR.

According to sources, the police station has been ‘abandoned’ by its officials since the LHC upheld the session court’s decision to register the FIR against the PML-N leadership.

Faisal Town Police Station in-charge Sharif Sindhu told Pakistan Today on the telephone that they were currently seeking legal advice for the case. However, sources told Pakistan Today that not only the staff was missing but also the daily register and FIR book had been “hidden”.

KHAN, QADRI TO MARCH TOGETHER:

Meanwhile, sources in both PAT and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said that Imran Khan had made contact with Qadri and it was likely that both men would lead their respective supporters to march on Parliament House together.

This information could not be verified from the official spokespersons of both parties by the time this report was made at 2am.