ISLAMABAD  - Pakistan Awami Tehreek Chief Dr Tahir ul Qadri and PTI Chief Imran Khan for the first time during the more than two-week long sit-in in front of the parliament House were seen together on Tuesday on the same container and making speeches to their followers.
On Tuesday when Dr Qadri started his speech to his followers, the sound system failed its working. Imran who came to know about the situation offered Qadri to come to his container use his sound system and deliver speech to his followers that Qadri accepted with pleasure.
Dr Qadri time to time during their sit-in had been telling marchers that they were first cousins and were children of two brothers. But for the first time both the brothers were at the same container and their children sat together in front of them.
In the past both the brothers kept demanding resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif but for the first time Dr Qadri did not repeat his demand while making his speech standing on PTT’s container. He whereas congratulated the crowd that an FIR against the accused of Model Town tragedy had been registered in its true letter and spirit. Qadri also congratulated them for the Judicial Commission established to conduct investigation into the election rigging charges.
Interestingly the government long ago had agreed on the demand of establishment of a judicial commission to probe election rigging. It was even ready to accept all legitimate demands of Dr Qadri and Imran Khan except the resignation of PM or dissolution of the government.
Dr Qadri whereas in his latest speech called for the trial of rulers for treason over suspension of constitutional clauses relating to basic human rights.
Addressing the marchers, Qadri said that first 40 clauses of the Constitution regarding human rights remain suspended.
While responding to the government circles accusing him of taking anti-democratic actions, he said, “We too stand by democracy. We are backing the constitution which is not being implemented by rulers”. He told his followers that they were here to ensure the implementation of the aforementioned clauses of the constitution and not to derail the democracy.
Dr Qadri said that the same rulers have been coming into power time and again for the last 41 years. Qadri also reminded Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif that he had pledged to resign if found guilty by judicial commission. He said that the CM Punjab should resign as the judicial commission had held the Punjab government responsible for the Model Town incident.
Qadri interestingly distanced himself from the Monday’s incident in which his followers allegedly tried to take control of PTV building and entered the premises that later was vacated by the Pakistan Army.