PAT-led protest: Birds of a feather fail to make impact together 

• PAT chief Qadri says will disclose future strategy in next few days as turnout at protest remains unexpectedly low 

• Zardari says he can send Sharifs packing whenever he wants

• Imran curses ‘parliament for making a criminal the president of a party’

• Sheikh Rasheed announces resignation from NA, asks Imran to follow suit

LAHORE: The much-awaited opposition’s move to bring the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government down looked like an exercise in futility as the four major political parties—Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q)— failed to bring their supporters in large numbers to the launch of the protest drive on Wednesday.

The protest ended with PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri’s announcement that the opposition alliance will share the future strategy with its followers and media in the next few days.

The opposition parties led by Qadri pitched at Mall Road to demand the resignations of Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah for their alleged involvement in the deaths of 14 political workers in June 2014, in Model Town.

After a day-long tirade against the Punjab government and the PML-N government in the Centre, they vowed to bring an end to the dynastic politics of the Sharif family and hold them accountable for the Model Town killings and Kasur tragedy.

LOW TURNOUT:

The much-anticipated rally that was supposed to work as the last nail in the Sharifs’ coffin failed to make a big impact on Lahoris, except creating traffic congestion in the areas. The stage constructed on a container in front of the Punjab Assembly—almost full— was used by the political leaders to address the crowd; however, the chairs in front remained empty for the most period of the addresses.

According to the Police’s Special Branch estimates, around 6,000 to 7,000 protesters participated in the rally, while the Intelligence Bureau put the figure between 9,000 and 10,000.

These empty seats also caught the attention of the PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz as she boasted on Twitter that such [low] turnout was a testimony of Nawaz Sharif’s popularity.

“The empty seats testify that the people have confirmed Nawaz Sharif’s stance that conspirators should have patience until 2018, or even after 2018,” Maryam said in a clear reference to the forthcoming general elections in the country.

The one-day-long protest was addressed by PAT chief Dr Qadri, PPP leader and former president Asif Ali Zardari, PTI chief Imran Khan, Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed, Pak Sarzameen Party Chairman Mustafa Kamal, PML-Q leader Pervaiz Elahi and National Assembly Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah among other leaders.

QADRI TO COME ONLINE IN FEW DAYS:

PAT chief Tahirul Qadri –who arrived at the venue around 5 pm—began his address by saying that the conscience of the nation has been awoken from the slumbers by the incidents like Model Town and Kasur.

He said that Wednesday’s protest is a movement of justice for “Zainab, Shazia, martyrs of Islamabad and martyrs of Model Town”, adding that the entire political and religious leadership of the country is standing with them to fight for justice in the case of Model Town killings.

Addressing the protesters, Qadri said, “This protest is no longer a movement of PAT only, but has now become entire Pakistan’s battle to acquire justice.” He also warned the Punjab government and the PML-N not to mistake the protesters’ peacefulness for “weakness”.

Wrapping up the protest, the PAT chief in his second address said the joint opposition front will announce its next strategy against the government within next few days.

“We are holding a meeting within two days, and will announce a date. We will call a meeting of APC parties and its steering committee,” he said.

Lashing out at the Punjab government and the PML-N, particularly Punjab CM Shehbaz Sharif, he said, “It has been decided that you will go home; you will have to go home [over Model Town incident].”

Qadri warned the Sharifs, saying: If I ask our workers, they will turn you into pieces. You won’t be able to step out of your residence in Jati Umra, if I direct my workers.”

Coming back to the Sharif family, he alleged that Shehbaz and Nawaz Sharif had accumulated their wealth through corruption. It was due to the their “character” that one brother (Nawaz) is facing cases in the Supreme Court and the other (Shehbaz) has allegedly turned Punjab police into a “militant wing of PML-N”, he claimed.

He claimed that Rs7.5 billion of the budget had been allocated to the Punjab police in the past few years to provide protection to the Sharif family.

“Why did the police not provide security to my sons and my daughters?” he asked. “Was this country created only for the Sultanat-e-Sharifiya?”

“The martyrs of Model Town and those of Kasur are the emblems of their oppression,” he said, adding that nations which do not raise their voice against oppression end up forgetting their own history.

Alluding to the political turmoil in the country in 1971 that also led to the breakup of eastern part of the country—now Bangladesh— Dr Qadri said: “The country is under threat from the Sheikh Mujib of this era.”

The rulers have violated and transgressed the Constitution, he said, adding that the PAT didn’t support any unconstitutional step and only wanted to expose the tyranny of the rulers.

Qadri maintained that the protestors do not want to sabotage peace in the country. “We only want to put an end to your cruelty. If we have to take the law into our own hands, then we would not have tolerated tragedies,” he stated.

Stressing the peaceful motives for the protest, he said, “The purpose of this gathering is to get rid of the enemy. We want to end the Sultanate of Sharifs.”

Speaking during the first session, Dr Qadri had also thanked the leaders and workers from all political parties for attending the anti-government power show in Lahore. He said that they had gathered to get justice for the victims of Model Town tragedy.

IMRAN SAYS MODEL TOWN KILLINGS A DELIBERATE ACT:

PTI chief Imran Khan alleged that the Punjab government had an active role in the killing of the protesters, adding that “the Model Town incident was a deliberate act”.

Incidents of rape and murder in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are being falsely compared, Imran said, adding, “Unlike Punjab, the KP government ensured swift action to address the problem and coordinate with the victims.”

Imran said that no justice had been served in the Model Town and Kasur cases and added that “people have no hopes of justice from the Punjab government”.

Terming the Model Town incident a characteristic of a fascist state, Imran accused the Sharif brothers of not being even remotely democratic.

The PTI chief alleged that instead of investigating the culprits involved in the Model Town incident, the Sharif brothers had registered six fake first information reports (FIR) against him through police.

Alluding to Nawaz’s past, Imran challenged them that he was not brought into power by some military dictator [Gen Ziaul Haq]; rather he rose to prominence through his hard work of 22 years. “Whatever you do, you cannot compete with me,” Imran mocked the Sharifs.

The PTI chief stressed that the entire country witnessed the Model Town incident on their television sets when the police opened fire on unarmed citizens.

Evoking the cause of justice for the Model Town victims, he said: “Don’t say they that they were PAT workers, they were Pakistanis”, adding: “The question here is, did people get justice?”

Reiterating his party’s support, Imran Khan said his party stood with the PAT leadership and would support whichever direction Qadri intends to take the protest towards.

PTI chief Imran Khan also criticised the parliament over Election Act 2017 that paved the way for Nawaz Sharif to become the head of the PML-N after his disqualification.  “I curse the parliament that made a ‘criminal’ the president of a party,” he said.

Imran also replied to AML chief Sheikh Rasheed offer of resigning from their seats, saying, “I think it is a good idea; I will talk to my party and if possibly soon join you in the act.”

ZARDARI SAYS CAN SEND GOVT PACKING ANYTIME:

Taking the stage at the PAT-led rally, PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari boasted that he can send the PML-N and the Sharif family packing if he desires to do so.

“They [PML-N leader] know that they can be disqualified anytime I wish to do so; but I just think for [the betterment] of Pakistan, as only the PPP cares about Pakistan, its soil, and people,” he said.

“We will not let them become successful,” he told the political workers. However, in the same breath, he added: “But they are not letting the democracy sail smoothly.”

Zardari said the Sharif family do not care about Pakistan, they only care about their assets, and the ‘real’ danger to the country is emanating from Jati Umra.

Recollecting that Nawaz Sharif had a few days ago claimed that he was being treated like Mujibur Rehman, Zardari asked: “Is it a matter of superiority for him that he should be disloyal to the land and be called a traitor?”

“The problems we see here today are the fruits of a dictator, Ziaul Haq.”

Remembering the speeches of slain PPP leader and thrice-premier Benazir Bhutto, he said the murdered prime minister made speeches against the then-dictator, Gen Zia, all over the world, but she had never uttered a word against the country.

The PPP co-chairman also thanked the attendees for showing solidarity with the Model Town incident victims and promised to get justice for the families of the deceased.

Senior PPP leader Syed Khursheed Shah said in his address that all parties were united in the anti-government cause.

SH RASHEED ANNOUNCES TO RESIGN:

During his return at the dice, AML chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed announced to resign from the National Assembly seat.

As he announced to resign in front of joint opposition crowd, Rasheed also invited Imran to join him in the act of resigning.

PML-Q STANDS WITH QADRI:

Addressing the gathering, PML-Q leader Pervaiz Elahi said: “Today, all political parties have gathered to raise their voice for justice.”

Elahi said time for tendering resignation has ended today and now no safe passage will be given …we will together send Shehbaz Sharif home in Punjab, like Balochistan.

LHC ALLOWS GATHERING:

Earlier in the day, a three-judge bench of Lahore High Court (LHC), headed by Justice Ameenuddin Khan and comprising Justice Shahid Jamil Khan and Justice Shahid Karim, had allowed PAT to go ahead with its protest on Mall Road for one day only, but with certain conditions — including ending the protest by midnight.