LAHORE: The Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) has finalised all arrangements for the demonstration to be held on Wednesday (tomorrow). The party leaders claim around 100,000 people will join the protest to seek justice for the Model Town incident.
“We have finalised all arrangements and will not bow down in front of the government,” said PAT Secretary General Khurram Nawaz Ghandapur.
Talking to media, he said that it would be a peaceful protest and assured no damage to public property. “The party has established a master control room at the PAT office in Model Town and formed 14 committees to look over the sit-in.
Mall Road’s Charring Cross has its own significance despite the fact that it is the political and business hub of the city. It is also a main thoroughfare of the metropolis from there thousands of vehicles pass over the 24 hours of a day. On the other hand, the Punjab government has already imposed Section 144 for any political gathering in this area.
Various political activists of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP), Muttahida Muslim League (MML), Ulam-e-Mushaikh Council, all factions of Jamiat Ulma-e-Islam (Except Fazalur Rehman group), Jamat Islami and Sunni Ittihad have assured their presence in the protest.
Replying to a question, Gandapur said that PAT, along with other parties, will hold the sit-in at any cost.”
Gandapur, in the meeting said this was an alliance of political parties to seek justice for the victims of the Model Town incident. “We do not make alliances for any political point-scoring or to destabilise the political process in the country.”
“The Model Town inquiry report by Justice Baqir Najafi proved that the chief minister and the law minister were instrumental in the killing of PAT workers,” he said. He added that they have made the alliance only to seek justice for the Model Town incident.
Gandapur said that for the last three year, PML-N ministers have been appearing on TV and denying their role in the Model Town tragedy. “ PAT has not deviated from his earlier stance with regards to seeking justice on the incident.”
“I greatly appreciate the families and relatives of the martyrs for their patience. The party workers who lost their lives in the firing incident were wealthy when it came to piety and virtue.” Gandapur believed Shehbaz Sharif and other PML-N leaders would be in jail soon.
Earlier, Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Dr Tahirul Qadri announced that an agitation campaign would be launched across the country on January 17 by various like-minded opposition parties to force the Punjab chief minister and the law minister to tender resignations.
He said all members of the steering committee have agreed to launch a movement to overthrow the government.
Dr Qadri said that everyone knew who opened indiscriminate fire on innocent protesters. “We want justice. Dr Tauqir Shah (then principal secretary to the chief minister) was ordered to kill people in Model Town and later was appointed as an ambassador to keep mum over the issue.
