LAHORE: The Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) on Friday empowered its chairman to do whatever he thinks to be appropriate for launching a ‘Tehreek-i-Qisas” (retribution movement) to win justice for Model Town victims.

The Federal Council of the party adopted a resolution authorising Dr Tahirul Qadri to decide the date and future line of action for the ‘Tehreek-i-Qisas’ after consulting opposition leaders in the July 31 Consultative Conference to be held at the PAT secretariat.

Recalling that the FIR of the Model Town incident had been registered on the intervention of the army chief, it urged the COAS to ensure that justice is also served in the case.

Dr Qadri told the media after the meeting that the protest and only protest was a solution to the “Sharifs”. And this announcement will be made after consulting leaders of the opposition parties in the July 31 meeting.

He said to end the reign of “corruption”, “terrorism” and “lawlessness”, it’s imperative to end the “all-Sharif” era.

He sarcastically advised the Sharifs to mostly stay at Jati Ummrah so that at bad time they could easily fly off to India through the Wagah border.

The PAT chief gave the army chief the title of ‘Mard-i-Ahen’ (man of iron) for conducting a successful operation against terrorists and extremists and for bringing peace to the country.

Dr Qadri said time had come for the people to decide whether they wanted to side with the “corrupt” rulers or with peace, tranquility and justice.

The council also voiced concern at the kidnapping of children in Lahore. It also demanded end to unscheduled power loadshedding and inflation.

The meeting protested the increase in loans being taken by the government from domestic and foreign agencies. It supported the demands of the nurses, agriculturalists, clerks and teachers frequently protesting on roads.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2016