LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PAT) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) leaders met on Thursday and vowed to go ahead with the ‘Lockdown Islamabad’ on Nov 2 while PAT pledged its maximum participation in the protest.

Both sides led by Chaudhry Sarwar and Khurram Nawaz Gandapur discussed the plan.

Mr Gandapur said his party would soon take decision about Dr Tahirul Qadri’s participation in the protest.

PTI’s delegation also consisted of Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed and former PTI Punjab president Ejaz Chaudhry, whereas PAT delegation had Punjab president Basharat Jaspal.

Later, they addressed a news conference, where Mr Sarwar said the Panama Leaks were published some six months ago and the PTI had exhausted all forums, including Parliament, seeking justice but in vain. Imran eventually gave a sit-in call for Nov 2. He said no watchdog institutions such as the National Accountability Bureau and the Federal Investigation Agency took notice of the Panama Papers. He said the Constitution allowed the PTI to hold peaceful protest and condemned the government for arresting party workers. He said the arrests would result in a fierce backlash. He condemned the Quetta tragedy and demanded that all those involved in the gruesome attack be arrested.

Mr Gandapur said the PAT would fully participate in the Nov 2 protest and demanded that the scandals reported in Panama Leaks be investigated.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2016