GUJRAT: Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri may also start his march on Islamabad from Lahore on Aug 13 but will give a formal call only after getting certain guarantees from the PTI leadership through PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Husain.

Sources in the PAT and PML-Q told Dawn that Dr Qadri and his workers would stay in Gujrat for a night on Aug 13. They will be joined by PML-Q workers on the Independence Day. Workers of both the parties will stay in Rawalpindi for a night and start their march on Islamabad on Aug 15.

According to the sources, preparations for the march have begun in towns and districts along the GT Road and local chapters of the two parties are waiting for a final call from their leaderships.

A senior PML-Q leader said Dr Qadri was waiting for the outcome of talks his party was holding with representatives of the PTI core committee through Chaudhry Shujaat.

He said that since the PML-Q leadership had been acting as a bridge between the PTI and the PAT, the former had first sought a guarantee from Dr Qadri. Chaudhry Shujaat assured PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi that Dr Qadri would never back out of his commitment of becoming a part of the agitation aimed at ousting the PML-N government.

In return, the PML-Q leader said, Dr Qadri had made certain demands, which had been conveyed to the PTI leadership by Chaudhry Shujaat. The PAT is now waiting for a PTI reply to its demands.

Chaudhry Shujaat is reported to have advised the PTI leadership not to go for a solo flight because he thinks the PTI workers cannot make a long stay in Islamabad.

A source said the PTI core committee had formed a five-member sub-committee to review Dr Qadri’s demands and a reply to these would come in a couple of days. The source claimed that Imran Khan had made the new demand for recounting of votes in all National Assembly seats on the advice of the PAT and the PML-Q to get their support for the Aug 14 march.

It has been learnt that Dr Qadri will stay at the residence of Chaudhry Shujaat in Gujrat on Aug 13 while other participants of the rally will be jointly hosted by the Chaudhrys and the local chapter of the PAT. A source in the PML-Q said Dr Qadri would announce the launching of his march on Islamabad three days before his departure from Lahore.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2014