RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) has asked its local chapters of Islamabad and four districts of Rawalpindi Division to ensure the party workers presence at the sit-in site till the return of Dr Tahirul Qadri back to the Red Zone.

A senior leader of PAT told Dawn that the PAT had directed the Rawalpindi division workers not to come to Lahore public gathering and ensure their presence at Red Zone.

“More than 1,500 to 2,000 workers should remain there (sit-in site) otherwise the government will remove the containers from the area,” he said.

He said local chapters of PAT and Minhajul Quran were divided in 14 units and each unit had been assigned to bring 100 people daily in party’s vehicles. He said that four wagons should be arranged for the workers of each unit.

In Islamabad, he said that sector in-charges had been asked to bring 50 people each from their respective areas.

However, he said, it was not compulsory for the Rawalpindi and Islamabad residents to stay in the night but the people from villages should stay for two or three days.

They need not come to Lahore meeting on 19th

He said that the people from Faisalabad would come to sit-in with Dr. Tahirul Qadri after the Lahore public gathering scheduled to be held on October 19 (Sunday). He said that Dr. Tahirul Qadri would hold public meeting in Abbottabad on October 23.

He said that PTI assured its support for Abbottabad public gathering and directed the provincial government to extend complete cooperation in this regard.

“Dr. Tahirul Qadri informed the PAT supporters that the sit-in will end when the provincial government will form the joint investigation team as per its recommendation.

“PAT wanted to include two members each from intelligence agencies, Punjab Police, Federal police and Azad Jammu and Kashmir Police.

But the JIT formed by the government has seven members from Punjab police and one each from two main intelligence agencies,” he said.  

When contacted, PAT local spokesman Suhail Abbasi admitted that the party supporters had been asked to show their presence at the sit-in site. He said that they had not been directed to come to Faisalabad and Lahore.

“The PAT wanted to show its presence at the site so it stopped the people from Rawalpindi division including Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal districts from coming to Lahore meeting,” he said.

“The sit-in will continue at the Red Zone in the absence of Dr. Tahirul Qadri . At least 2,000 worker’s presence at the sit-in is necessary,” he said.

Mr Abbasi also admitted that the PAT and Minhajul Quran had fewer supporters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as compared to Punjab and it asked all the party chapters across the country to reach Abbaottabad on October 23.

Published in Dawn, October 14th , 2014