LAHORE: Relations between the Chaudhrys of Gujrat and Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahirul Qadri have strained after the former came to know about the latter’s ‘contacts’ with the government to reach an understanding over the winding up of his Islamabad sit-in.

Sources privy to the development told Dawn on Tuesday that PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Husain and Pervaiz Elahi were not happy with Dr Qadri’s “contacts with a close aide of the Sharifs and reaching an understanding with the government”.

Although the PAT chief denied having made any contact with the government, the Chaudhrys were not satisfied.

“Relations between Dr Qadri and the Chaudhrys are no more ideal as they were before the start of the revolution march in August. Dr Qadri has suddenly stopped giving importance to the Chaudhrys’ suggestions and this cannot happen without any reason,” a source said, adding that the abrupt winding up of the sit-in gave credence to the “Qadri-government deal”.

Relations between PML-Q leadership, PAT chief strain after the latter’s ‘contacts’ with govt

“Dr Qadri and the Chaudhrys will apparently remain political allies but they will follow their own political course,” the source said, adding that the PAT chief might not take on Prime Minister

Nawaz Sharif in accordance with the understanding, but would not spare Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for his alleged role in the killing of his 14 workers in Lahore.

There has been a disappointment in the camps of Qadri’s allies, including Majlis-i-Wahdatul Muslimeen and Sunni Ittehad Council, over his decision. “The sit-in has been called off without achieving its objectives and it may not reflect well on the protesting parties,” PML-Q’s information secretary Senator Kamil Ali Agha said while talking to Dawn.

He admitted that relations between the PML-Q leadership and Dr Qadri were no more ‘ideal’. “The relations have strained after reports that he had struck a deal with the government. We expressed our reservations. Dr Sahib has taken the important decision without our consent,” Mr Agha said.

He said the PML-Q would go along with Dr Qadri but decided to hold rallies on its own in different parts of Punjab in coming days.

Senior PPP leader Raja Riaz told Dawn that he had already disclosed the “government-Qadri deal”. “A large amount of cash is involved in the deal and some common local and foreign friends of Dr Qadri and the Sharif family have played a role in the deal,” he claimed.

The former opposition leader in Punjab Assembly further said that under the deal, PML-N leaders would stop criticising Dr Qadri. He said the politics of the PAT chief would now be like that of other politicians and would not be a threat to the PML-N government. “Dr Qadri has stopped demanding the resignation of Sharif brothers,” Mr Riaz said.

Dr Qadri’s decision also disappointed the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf. “PTI asked Qadri Sahib to continue the sit-in as long as he could. However, it is his decision to call it off,” PTI’s Punjab president Ijaz Chaudhry told Dawn.

Sunni Ittehad Council’s spokesman Arshad Mustafai said its chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza would announce on Wednesday his party’s point of view on the PAT’s decision to shift its sit-in to other parts of the country.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2014