ISLAMABAD: The opposition parties in the National Assembly on Thursday demanded the government to withdraw the FIRs registered against Dr Hussain Mohiuddin, the son of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri and his followers over the Model Town incident.

Commenting on a point of order, Leader of the Opposition Syed Khurshid Shah, belonging to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), said that the government had failed to adopt the political strategy to handle the situation in Lahore.

“The government played the role of Gullu Butt in Lahore incident,” he said.

Shah said that the PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri also organised a huge protest against the PPP government during its last tenure in Islamabad but the party leadership dealt with Dr Qadri by adopting the political strategy of reconciliation with the support of its coalition parties.

He also said that it is the constitutional right of the people to protest peacefully while the loss of precious lives in Lahore incident was a big failure of a democratic government.

The opposition leader also demanded the government to cancel the FIR lodged against the son of Dr Tahirul Qadri and his followers.

Shah also assured the National Assembly that the opposition would not allow anyone to derail the democratic system in the country and added that it will support the government to safeguard democracy.

Later, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mehmood Qurshi also criticised the government's step to register FIR against the PAT workers.

He said that the government should take strict action against the culprits while it should cancel the FIR against 3000 workers of the PAT.

Pakhtunkhawa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Mahmood Khan Achakzai said that the judicial commission was set up to probe the Lahore incident had become controversial and the government should set up a judicial commission which should consist of the j udges of the Supreme Court.

Later, Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanveer Hussain said the prime minister and chief minister Punjab have taken strict notice of the Lahore incident and stern action will be taken against the culprits in light of the investigation report of the judicial commission.

He said that all political forces should be on same page to expose hidden hands behind the activities against the democracy.