ISLAMABAD- After failure of talks with the government, Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahirul Qadri termed today (Thursday) the “day of revolution” and told his followers that he would not ask them to continue their sit-in in the capital, but they themselves would decide what to do.
Dr Qadri announced that the talks with the government had totally collapsed and the government was non-serious to resolve the issues. While addressing his followers, he said he had placed two demands in front of the government team, which were necessary to be accepted for an extension of one day to resume the talks between him and the government.
He mentioned the first demand was registration of FIR against all nominated accused of Model Town tragedy, including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The second demand was the resignation of CM Shahbaz Sharif, he said.
Dr Qadri, in his late night speech, announced he would address his followers anytime after 3pm on Thursday. He also said the people who wanted to reach the sit-in should be there till 3pm and reiterated there was no talks’ option left with him now.
Dr Qadri said, “Nobody from the government side should approach him for talks and we will take our own decisions.”
He spoke to his followers that from now onwards they would be decision-makers. He told them that there was no moral pressure left on them after the patience they had shown during the days of their sit-in in the capital.
He also announced that today (Thursday) was going to be the last day of the sit-in. He said, “After today I will not tell you to carry on sit-in here in the capital. Tomorrow is the final day. It is the judgment day,” he said.
He requested his followers living in the nearby areas of the capital to reach the sit-in in front of the parliament to see for themselves the judgment day.
As per the directions of their spiritual leader, the followers of Dr Tahirul Qadri wore burial shrouds on Wednesday and also dug graves. The government however said they do not intend to use force against the marchers.
The Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief on Tuesday ordered his followers to bring shrouds with them and be ready to embrace martyrdom. On Tuesday he had announced that he and his followers were not going anywhere until and unless the prime minister and the Punjab chief minister were hanged to death.
But he also gave an impression that the government was not going to accept his demands and most probably would open fire at him and his followers though many quarters believed Qadri knew it very well that the federal government was not going to do so.
On Wednesday, Qadri’s people were very charged and they also misbehaved with the team led by Ishaq Dar who came to visit the PAT chief and ask him to extend his deadline for a few hours that expired at 6pm after 48 hours. Dr Qadri, putting the two demands to be accepted by the government in a ‘gracious’ mood, extended his deadline for 2 hours. But in the end around 12 midnight on Wednesday, he closed doors on any further talks.
Certain quarters believe that if the FIR and the resignation were the only issues that could send him back home, the government would have done so, but his aims were different and whosoever was driving him had strictly told him not to bow in any case.
MQM may join marchers
Monitoring Desk adds: Governor Sindh Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan and Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar also met with the PAT chief.
Dispelling the notion that the two governors wanted to woo Qadri to end his protest, the PAT chief said that they were only visiting to show solidarity with the marchers.
Meanwhile, speaking to PAT’s sit-in participants, Governor Sindh Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan said they wanted to show solidarity with the protesters that is why they were there. He said the government should accept all the legitimate demands of Dr Tahirul Qadri.
Khan added that Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain also wanted to show solidarity with the marchers.
The Sindh governor also announced that the MQM would also participate in the ongoing anti-government protest demonstrations if the demands were not met. He vowed to continue his and his party’s efforts in resolving the issue amicably.