Qadri again gets it completely wrong

The game and its consequences

The Punjab government was widely criticised when police gunned down several PAT workers in Model Town two years back. It again drew flak for suppressing the report of the one-man judicial commission it had appointed itself. However, equally reprehensible was the way the PAT chief tried to make political capital out of the tragic incident, using it as a ploy to overthrow the government in 2014. Failing to achieve the objective Qadri left in a huff for Canada.

Qadri has no confidence in the courts. He is keen to somehow or other drag the army into his fight with the government. His brief visit to Pakistan in 2015 was aimed at testing the waters back home. Qadri showed no intention to pursue the case against the PML-N leaders in the courts. Instead he urged the armed forces to provide him justice. Referring to the Rangers’ operation in Karachi, Qadri appealed to the army to launch a similar action in Punjab. He has still not abandoned the idea. Soon after his recent return to Pakistan in June Qadri thanked the COAS for having the first information report (FIR) registered in the case. He further said it was now the army chief’s “responsibility to give justice to these oppressed people”. It is barking up the wrong to seek justice from the army rather than the courts.

Qadri has lost all hope in coming to power through elections. In his address on Saturday he said even Allama Iqbal would not reach the corridors of power through the present system. He warmed the army that it would be turned into a loyal police force by Nawaz Sharif if elections were held in 2018. He claimed that Sharif was helped by India to come to power. Qadri is in fact keen to create instability through agitation. Hopefully the army understands the game and its consequences for the country. Equally important is for Imran Khan and other political leaders to beware of the cleric’s pursuit of power through unconstitutional means.