LAHORE: The Punjab government is collecting evidence against Tahirul Qadri with a pledge that no one will be allowed to take law into his hands.

Punjab Law Minister Rana Mashhood told a press conference here on Monday that law-enforcing institutions were working to collect evidence against the Pakistan Awami Tehreek chairman for his “anti-state, anti-religion and unlawful” activities.

He said that no one would be allowed to topple democratically-elected government or to spread chaos in the country through illegal ‘orders’.

Terming Dr Qadri an agent of the Jews and Hindus, the minister said a strategy had been formulated to tackle him and the results of the same would be visible within three days.

He said Qadri’s efforts to destabilise Pakistan were a part of the international conspiracy under which many Muslim countries in the Middle East had been pushed towards chaos and anarchy.

Rana Mashhood said Qadri had insulted the citizens of Pakistan by describing them as worse than animals of the West.

He said statements of Qadri in the West and in Pakistan were contradictory.

He said the PAT chief had asked his workers to attack security forces and kill 15 policemen in retaliation for the death of 15 party workers in June 17 Model Town incident.

He said Qadri also ordered his workers to enter the houses of police officials who would launch a crackdown and bring their women to the headquarters of Minhajul Quran for the purpose of Quran Khawani.

He said this showed the mental state of the leader as well as exposed his agenda to spread anarchy in Pakistan to hamper the process of development in the country.

The PAT chief had this Sunday directed his workers to ‘kidnap’ the police officials who would obstruct them from reaching Lahore to attend the ‘martyrs’ day here on Aug 10.

The minister also criticised the instructions of Maulana Qadri to the employees of educational institutions under his control to reach Model Town with the copies of the Holy Quran hanging around their necks. He feared that the act would compromise the sanctity of the Holy Quran as, he claimed, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) had prohibited carrying the holy book even to battlefields.

Pervaiz: PML-Q senior leader Pervaiz Elahi has said those responsible for the Model Town tragedy will not escape punishment.

“There will be no justice as long as Shahbaz Sharif is the chief minister. August is the decisive month in which the change will take place,” he said while addressing the party leaders and office-bearers at the Muslim League House here on Monday.

He said: “We will fully participate in the martyrs’ day on Aug 10 to pay homage to the victims of Model Town. We are about to get rid of anti-people government.”

During the one-year rule of the PML-N, poverty, unemployment and lawlessness had increased alarmingly. He said the rulers wanted to hide under the umbrella of the army in order to avoid people’s march.

“The N-League’s conspiracy to pit the army against the people will never succeed,” he added.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2014