Zardari, Imran to ride the same container on Jan 17: PPP

• Kaira says his party will force Punjab’s rulers to resign

LAHORE: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Sunday announced that party’s Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan will ride the same container on January 17.

Talking to media here at Model Town office, PPP Central Punjab President Qamar Zaman Kaira said the party decided in the joint meeting that it will fully participate in the multi-party meeting (protest) being convened on Model Town tragedy on January 17.

He clarified that the purpose of sharing the same container is only to get justice for Model Town victims. “The PPP held consultative meetings in all cities for this purpose,” he said.

Flanked by PPP Punjab President Manzoor Watto, PPP Punjab Secretary General Chaudhry Manzoor and others, Kaira said justice is a basic ingredient in a democracy, and it cannot flourish without delivering justice for the masses.

“This protest is not part of any agenda. We will be holding a peaceful protest; we neither fear anyone nor bow before anyone else,” he said. “The PPP is the biggest and largest political party of Pakistan, and it will hold a protest in the constitutional and democratic limits. This protest will not harm democracy.”

He further added that they will force rulers in Punjab to tender resignation. “Whenever the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) came face-to-face with the PPP, it had to face a crushing defeat,” he said, adding, “We will teach them a lesson.”

Answering a question, he said, “I do not see a delay in general elections due in 2018. Getting resignation from Shehbaz Sharif is the demand of all parties participating in the protest.”

Punjab CM Shehbaz should first face the cases against him, he said, and then dream of becoming the next prime minister of Pakistan.

On December 8, Zardari backed the call of Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahirul Qadri for Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s resignation. Zardari met with Qadri on December 17 and endorsed his demand for resignation of Punjab chief minister for his alleged role in the Model Town tragedy, in which 14 people were killed and about 100 others were injured in 2015.

“Enough is enough… Shahbaz has to resign and appear before the court,” Zardari had said, while holding a joint press conference after holding a detailed meeting with Dr Qadri in Lahore.

On January 8, Qadri announced a countrywide protest movement for getting a resignation from Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah for their alleged role in the 2015 Model Town incident.

The PPP announcement came after the deadline given by the PAT-led multi-party conference seeking the resignation from Shahbaz Sharif and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah expired on January 7.

Imran Khan has also announced to join PAT protest from January 18, and PTI leaders, along with PAT leaders, visited Charing Cross (Faisal Chowk) to review arrangements for the protest.

PPP on Saturday formed a two-member administrative committee for finalising arrangements in the multi-party meeting (protest) being convened on Model Town tragedy on January 17.

SARWAR ASKS GOVT TO ARREST CRIMINALS INVOLVED IN MODEL TOWN MAYHEM:

Meanwhile, PTI core committee member and former governor Punjab Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar has said that countdown for January 17 protest has begun for the government, so it will be better to apprehend criminals of the Model town massacre before the end of the deadline.

“Accountability process must not stop until bringing last corrupt person in the accountability net. The corrupt persons must be apprehended, irrespective of their political affiliations,” he said.

Addressing a rally hosted in Shahdara, Lahore, he said, “Pakistan cannot move ahead without apprehending the corrupt people. We assure the people of Pakistan that PTI will go to any extent to apprehend the corrupt people.”

The government should accept the demands of opposition parties on Model town massacre because they are appropriate enough to be accepted, he added.