Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahir-ul-Qadri will arrive Lahore today (Wednesday) to lead a sit-in to mark second anniversary of Model Town incident.
The PAT has announced to stage a sit-in in front of Punjab Assembly at Faisal Chowk (Charing Cross) Mall Road Lahore on June 17.
Before arrival from London’s Heathrow Airport on Tuesday, Tahir-ul-Qadri while talking to media vowed to avenge the deaths of those killed a two year ago in Model Town incident on June 17. He lamented that no progress has been made despite the fact that a ‘one-sided’ inquiry committee had held the Punjab government responsible.
Qadri said the time would come soon when families of the victims would get justice and culprits would be hanged. He also vowed to continue his struggle to bring revolution in the country through democratic ways. He once again termed the incident as state terrorism.
PAT spokesman Noorullah Siddiqui told Pakistan Today that they have completed all preparation for the sit-in which is going be held to mark the second anniversary of the Model Town tragedy. However, he said this sit-in will be symbolic and not like the one PAT staged two years ago in Islamabad. He said that for the purpose, PAT has approached all political parties of Pakistan except the ruling Pakistan Muslim League – N (PML-N) and that everyone is supporting the stance of PAT chief Tahir-url-Qadri that culprits must be brought to justice.
Noor said that Qadri will hold meetings with party workers today and tomorrow and some other meetings are also arranged with different delegates of other political and religious parties. On a questing regarding Imran Khan’s participation in the sit-in, he said that PTI has assured that they would join the PAT sit-in and it’s up to the PTI leadership to decide if Imran Khan joins himself or some other leader of his party attends.
Around 14 people were killed and over 100 were injured in a violent clash between PAT activists and Punjab police outside the offices of the Minhaj-ul-Quran of Tahir-ul-Qadri when the police attempted to remove a barrier.
The district administration on Tuesday granted conditional permission to the PAT to stage sit-in on Charring Cross. The permission letter read that PAT will have to follow 38 points. The district administration directed the PAT not to prepare the stage more than 20 feet high and that the party will be responsible for any untoward incident or emergency situation. However, the police and the district administration are committed to providing full security to the participants of the sit-in.