LAHORE: Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri says display of posters inscribed with the messages of requesting army chief Gen Raheel Sharif to take over may be the PML-N-led government’s move to defame him since he had refused to accept extension offer.

“I think the PML-N government may be behind the move of displaying posters. And I am saying this on the basis of the behaviour of Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif whenever something happens against their desire,” Mr Qadri alleged at a press conference here on Tuesday.

He said the core objective behind the move was to malign Gen Raheel Sharif and the army.

Talking about the Panama Leaks issue, Mr Qadri said opposition leader Khursheed Shah and PTI’s Shah Mahmood Qureshi contacted him recently and included three PAT representatives led by Khurram Nawaz Gandapur in the joint opposition committee constituted to finalise terms of reference (ToR).

“Our representatives will participate in the committee’s scheduled meeting on July 19. And on July 31, we have asked the opposition members to hold committee’s meeting at the PAT secretariat in Model Town,” he added.

He questioned the Punjab government as to why it continued to send a large number of young policemen -- constable to ASI rank -- to India for medical treatment and spent millions as mentioned in the supplementary budget 2014-15.

“We are surprised to see this information. And I am sure after my press conference the government will snub those who mentioned this in the budget document. You can see this information at pages 322 to 358 of the supplementary budget-2014-15,” he said.

He wondered as to why the Punjab government arranged funds for the medical treatment of the residents of Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since they could get such a facility from their own governments. This all must be checked and the Punjab government should clarify its position on the issue, he said.

Qadri said his rivals were disseminating news of his departure to London for making another ‘London Plan’ with Imran Khan. “I just want to tell them I am not going to London. And even there was no London Plan as discussed in the past. I also tell my rivals that we will not compromise on the issue of Model Town incident.”

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2016