ZULFIQAR AHMAD, FAZAL SHER & WAQAR LILLAH
ISLAMABAD: After the expiry of a 24-hour crucial deadline on Friday, the two major anti-government protesters – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) – announced that they would carry forward their struggle in tandem till accomplishment of their goals – the ouster of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Chairman PTI Imran Khan extended his protest to other big cities – Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Multan – of the country. He successfully persuaded his counterpart Dr Tahirul Qadri to show ‘restrain’ for some more days.
Qadri had announced to make it a do or die situation on Thursday evening, preparing his shroud-clad baton-wielding followers to storm the Prime Minister House, turning the lush green grass in front of Parliament House into a graveyard of martyrs – a last ditch effort which worked and FIR was registered for Model town killings.
But the firebrand cleric rejected the FIR and warned to proceed with his plan. However, his meeting with chief of army staff (COAS) Gen Raheel Sharif a day ago averted a possible bloodbath.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi, PTI vice chairman, personally visited Qadri’s sit-in camp with a message from Imran Khan, asking him not to lose hope and strengthen the PTI resolve.
This advice from the rebel PTI chief that came through PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s address to PAT protesters was accepted by the cleric who convinced his supporters to extend their deadline by another 24 hours, saying the workers of both the parties would not disperse without achieving the glory.
Qadri urged his workers to fully participate in PTI rallies in four major cities of the country as announced by Imran.
“The leadership of both PTI and PAT are answerable to their marchers … and we have to show our supporters what we’ve achieved through these protests,” he maintained.
Terming the government’s initiative of calling army chief to mediate or facilitate the process, the cleric said it was likely that the desired outcome would be achieved by tomorrow (Saturday) evening.
GOVT-ARMY CONTROVERSY
Earlier, Qadri severely criticized the government after it seemingly backtracked from its stance that it had not requested the army chief to play the role of a ‘mediator and a guarantor’.
He thanked Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) for issuing a rejoinder, rejecting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s claim.
Imran Khan also said his party had not asked the army chief to broker a deal with the government. In multiple speeches on Friday, Imran said the premier had lied to parliament. He cited DG ISPR Asim Bajwa’s Twitter update as an incriminating evidence.
The PTI chief categorically rejected the PM’s speech, saying the PTI had told the army chief that it had no trust in Nawaz Sharif.
“How can a judicial commission be successful if Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is in power.” He said those sitting in parliament were trying to protect poll rigging as they also have corruption cases against them.
