Supporters of Minhaj-ul-Quran International listen to religious leader Tahirul Qadri at a public meeting in Lahore. -AFP Photo

LAHORE: Religious scholar and Minhaj-ul-Quran International chief, Dr Tahirul Qadri said that the country's system has completely failed, DawnNews reported.

Dr Qadri gave the government three weeks, till January 10, to improve the situation, otherwise he said that he would lead a protest march towards Islamabad on January 14.

“I give the government a deadline of three weeks to establish an honest and independent body that will introduce electoral reforms and pave the way for free and fair elections,” AFP reported Qadri as saying.

He said that his struggle involves the improvement and not the finishing of politics and elections in the country.

Dr Qadri said that if the Army intervenes again in the affairs of state, then he will be the first person to protest against it. He said that to prevent Army intervention, the rule of law must be implemented.

Speaking to a large public gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore, he criticised what he called the unjust and feudal system in the country and said that the people had come out to save the state.

Tahirul Qadri said the state was in danger and that he supports the constitution and democracy.

He said that 180 million people within the country support and stands by the judiciary. At the same time Dr Qadri said that in order to bring peace and stability within the nation he will not back away from making any sacrifice required.

He said that he respects the independence of the judiciary, because independence of the courts is a must in any democratic society.

Tahirul Qadri said that politics in the country has simply become one of conspiracy's and winning elections.

Opinion

Editorial

Digital growth
Updated 25 Apr, 2024

Digital growth

Democratising digital development will catalyse a rapid, if not immediate, improvement in human development indicators for the underserved segments of the Pakistani citizenry.
Nikah rights
25 Apr, 2024

Nikah rights

THE Supreme Court recently delivered a judgement championing the rights of women within a marriage. The ruling...
Campus crackdowns
25 Apr, 2024

Campus crackdowns

WHILE most Western governments have either been gladly facilitating Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, or meekly...
Ties with Tehran
Updated 24 Apr, 2024

Ties with Tehran

Tomorrow, if ties between Washington and Beijing nosedive, and the US asks Pakistan to reconsider CPEC, will we comply?
Working together
24 Apr, 2024

Working together

PAKISTAN’S democracy seems adrift, and no one understands this better than our politicians. The system has gone...
Farmers’ anxiety
24 Apr, 2024

Farmers’ anxiety

WHEAT prices in Punjab have plummeted far below the minimum support price owing to a bumper harvest, reckless...