PTI will stand with ‘whatever decision’ PAT takes: Imran

• The two parties’ chiefs to devise future strategy in Dec 30 All Parties Conference

• Tahirul Qadri believes connection between the two parties is very strong, says Imran has jointly struggled with us 

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday pledged to support Pakistan Awami Tehreek’s (PAT) quest for justice in the Model Town killings case, terming the incident an “issue [of seeking justice] for the entire country, not just PAT”.

Reiterating his support to the PAT chief Tahirul Qadri, in a joint presser, Imran Khan remarked, “I came here today with my team to reassure PAT and Qadri that our party and the people of Pakistan are with them. Whatever decision PAT takes, PTI will stand alongside it.”

The Punjab government, at the behest of Lahore High Court (LHC), made the report for the Model Town incident public on December 5. The report was drafted by Justice Baqir Najafi and called the 2014 tragedy in Lahore’s Model Town the “most unfortunate incident” in the country’s history.

Blaming the Sharif family, especially Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Imran said, “They tried their best to hide what they did in Model Town.” Imran also alleged that the Punjab police works on the orders of the Sharif family and are on their “beck and call”.

He further bashed Nawaz Sharif, the former premier, saying, “He was brought to the forefront by a dictator and he is worse than a dictator as ‘they are a mafia’.”

He alleged that state institutions were working for them. “NAB was saving them in the Hudaibiya case while Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) made forged documents for the mafia.”

Flanked by the PTI chief during the presser, Qadri welcomed the support, saying, “Imran has jointly struggled with us and has stood by us throughout [the struggle]. The connection between PTI and PAT is very strong and our 2014 sit-in was a proof of that, he recalled.

Referring to the upcoming APC called by his party, Qadri said the future course of action will be announced after the conference.

Imran and Qadri declared after their joint press conference on Tuesday that they would coordinate to devise a strategy to tactfully handle the Model Town issue during the All Parties Conference (APC) to be held on December 30.

“We have reached a decision to devise a mutual strategy after December 31 regarding getting justice for the victims of the Model Town massacre,” Qadri said.

He also said, “One brother fell from grace over the Panama Papers case and the other will be kicked out over the Model Town massacre.”

The PTI chief while pledging support to PAT’s cause, said that he stood with Qadri in his fight for justice because the federal government had been using high-handedness while dealing with similar issues in the past.

While defending his politics of sit-ins, Imran said that the same strategy had also been adopted by the ruling Pakistan Mulsim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the recent past.

On the other hand, elaborating on the Model Town tragedy, Qadri claimed that Nawaz also played a part in the Model Town episode. “I am sure that the bloodshed could not have happened without Nawaz Sharif’s consent, orders from Shehbaz and execution by [Punjab Law Minister] Rana Sanaullah.”

The PAT chief further claimed that the Punjab chief minister never gave the order to pull back the police forces.

He questioned on whose authority, if not the chief minister’s, at least 1,000 police “shooters and snipers of the police” could be summoned to the spot.

Qadri also said all limits of injustice were crossed in the Model Town incident. “One brother was sent home over Panama Leaks, the other will go [home] over Model Town killing,” he claimed.

The PAT chief further said that the army’s help in the matter is not required and they need not step in.

Over a dozen workers of the PAT were killed and several injured in the 2014 Model Town clashes after police launched an operation against encroachments.