LAHORE: Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahirul Qadri has warned Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah to resign by Dec 31 or face a protest movement that would continue till the two lawmakers are ousted.

Addressing traders and members of civil society, Dr Qadri announced: “If these two, along with the other accused government officials, do not resign and submit to the law, the PAT would announce the schedule of its final showdown.”

The PAT chief was of the view that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was fomenting lawlessness in the country by railing against the judiciary. This was because Mr Sharif could not obtain a favourable verdict from the courts, he said, wondering why state institutions had not yet reacted to this language of revolt.

“After December, the final round will begin because no more delays can be tolerated in justice for those killed in Model Town three years ago,” the PAT chief said.

Warns he will launch a movement if they don’t

So far, all major opposition political parties in the country have announced unconditional support for the PAT’s cause and have promised to stand by it. Sharing details, he claimed that the provincial law minister, the inspector general of police, the home secretary and representatives of the chief minister had held a meeting earlier in June 2014, and decided that they would use violence against PAT members who tried to stop them from removing barriers.

How could CM Sharif distance himself from what had happened that fateful day, Dr Qadri asked, saying that it was strange that if the CM had ordered disengagement, why weren’t his orders taken seriously? He asked if it was Mr Sanaullah or the home secretary who had refused to obey CM Sharif’s orders, and said that these questions required clarification.

Earlier, the PAT chief met delegations of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (Noorani) led by Qari Zawar Bahadur, Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (Niazi) and former chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan Mehdi Shah, who visited him to express their support for the PAT’s cause. All of them had reportedly assured support in case the PAT needed it.

PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry announced his support for Dr Qadri’s protest which, he said, was for a just cause.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2017