LAHORE: Dr Tahirul Qadri, the chief of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and founder of the Tehreek-i-Minhajul Quran, once again managed to bring out his followers on the roads in large numbers.

Sunday’s rally on The Mall against corruption, price hike, terrorism and unemployment was his third major show since Dec 23 last year.

Addressing a charged crowd through video link from Canada, Dr Qadri said he did not want anything but the implementation of Articles 38 and 19-A of the Constitution under which citizens should get equal rights without any discrimination, and the right of access to information.

He criticised the country’s rulers and said they were “looters and plunderers” who had brought the country at the verge of destruction and ignored the vision of the founder of the country, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

“Read the speech our Quaid had delivered on Aug 11, 1947. This speech reflects that he was a moderate person following the teachings of Islam which also gives a lesson of moderation. Therefore we want Pakistan (to be) a moderate country and not a country of extremism or Mullaism,” he said.

“… we will eliminate terrorism after one year of our revolution,” the firebrand orator claimed.

Referring to a recent statement of the election commission saying that 50 per cent parliamentarians were tax evaders, he asked how such people could govern the country. Those planning to privatise national institutions and assets actually want to buy them through their local and foreign frontmen.

He presented the PAT’s charter of demands and called for land reforms by limiting the agriculture land holding to 50 acres, ownership rights to peasants, employment for every educated youth and Rs10,000 monthly scholarship for unemployed educated people.

“This rally which is representative of 180 million people also demands a five marla plot or a house for each homeless, increase in taxes on the rich and reduction for the poor, and an end to taxes being charged through utility bills and subsidy on essential commodities,” he said.

The rally drew PAT workers from several cities of Punjab who reached Lahore with their families and occupied the city’s main artery from Nasser Bagh to Regal Chowk.

Elderly Sharifan Bibi came from Sialkot along with her son to listen to PAT leader. “We are attending this rally to protest against skyrocketing prices, loadshedding of gas and electricity and other hardships that we are facing,” she said.

Lahore’s City District Administration is reported to have lodged a complaint with police against PAT central council head Dr Hussain Muhayyaddin Qadri and several other workers of the party for violating section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CRPC) imposed by the district coordination officer prohibiting rallies on The Mall.