LAHORE: Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT) leader Dr Tahirul Qadri has strongly criticised the government saying that it has failed to address issues that concern the common man, DawnNews reported.

Qadri said the government was more concerned with catering to the interests of the elite class.

Adressing a large rally of supporters in Nasir bagh via videolink, the PAT leader blasted the govt on issues such as inflation, corruption, unemployment, law and order situation in the country.

Qadri said that there was no difference between the current government and military rule.

He said that the country's rulers should give the people their rights otherwise they will be forced to take it themselves.

Qadri said members of parliament and cabinet memebers were themselves tax evaders, which makes it impossible for them to lead the country in an honest manner.

The PAT leader said in his speech that if government was holding dialogue with terrorists, it was not possible for them to control religous extremists.

Qadri said the struggle for the Pakistan that Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah envisioned would continue.

Qadri, a Pakistani-Canadian had returned to Pakistan in early 2013 after years in Toronto and had accused the previous PPP government of corruption and incompetence.

Prior to the May 2013 elections he had called for sweeping reforms to be enacted by a caretaker administration.