GUJRAT: The Chaudhrys of PML-Q have decided to launch their party’s anti-government agitation from their political bastion of Gujrat by hosting a joint public meeting with Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahirul Qadri on June 23 here as preparations for the show are underway.

Although the venue for the event is yet to be finalised, it was most likely to be the GTS Chowk, the city’s main square along the old GT Road.

A senior party leader told Dawn here that a PML-Q delegation led by the party chief Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain would receive the PAT chief at Islamabad airport on June 23. The party’s leaders from Rawalpindi and Attock districts, along with the workers from their respective areas would also be there, he added.

As Mr Qadri would leave Islamabad for Gujrat, the PML-Q workers would accord a warm welcome to him at Gujjar Khan where they would also be joined by party workers from Chakwal district, he said. Mr Qadri is also scheduled to address rallies at Gujjar Khan and Jhelum.

‘Big’ public meeting at Gujrat to be jointly addressed by PML-Q, PAT leaderships

On June 23, Mr Qadri as well as Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhary Pervez Elahi would address the public meeting, launching their anti-government campaign.

The PAT chief, along with 200 foreign delegates, will stay at the Zahoor Elahi House in Gujrat, the residence of the Chaudharys, from where he will leave for Lahore on June 24.

Pervez Elahi, who has been personally looking after all the arrangements to make the June 23 event a success, has also convened a meeting of party workers from Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Jhelum, Rawalpindi and Attock districts at the Muslim League House, Lahore, on June 17. At the meeting the party leaders will be asked to bring maximum number of people on streets to man the anti-government agitation.

Meanwhile, Chaudhary Shujaat will also give a reception at the Gujrat railway station to the participants of a ‘Train March’ announced by Sheikh Rashid’s Awami Muslim League on June 20. The PAT workers will also attend the reception.

In a related development, the Chaudharys have also sorted out their political differences with their kin and former district Nazim of Attock, Maj (retired) Tahir Sadiq.

In this connection, a detailed meeting between Mr Sadiq and Chaudhary Pervez Elahi was held in Lahore on Saturday, sources said.

Now Mr Sadiq is also likely to join the reception being accorded to Mr Qadri at Islamabad airport by the PML-Q on June 23.

Tahir Sadiq and his son Muhammad Zain Elahi had contested the last general elections as independent candidates by refusing the PML-Q tickets from Attock. Zain Elahi, also a nephew of Shujaat Hussain, had got elected to the National Assembly. It is yet not clear whether Mr Sadiq and his son would formally join the PML-Q or not.

PML-Q parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly, Moonis Elahi has also been actively participating in the preparations for the launch of the anti-government movement.

Sources said Moonis had also developed backchannel contacts with some disgruntled legislators of the PML-N in the Punjab Assembly as a number of the ruling party lawmakers were said to be annoyed with their leadership due to a lack of communication and Sharifs “humiliating” attitude towards them.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2014