LAHORE: In the run-up to its all parties conference, the core committee of the Pakistan Awami Tehrik met under its chief Tahirul Qadri on Friday and endorsed his demand for the resignation of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah by the end of this month.

Mr Qadri told the participants that the leaders of all invited parties had accepted the invitation and they would attend the conference. He said he wanted to include all opposition parties in the next course of action; all decisions would be collective, not individual.

He also briefed lawyers, who have been contesting the PAT case, and said that the home secretary had refused to provide attested copies of the joint investigation team’s proceedings into the Model Town case due to pressure of the chief minister.

Instead of providing copies, the secretary advised the PAT to contact the court, Mr Qadri learned. He said other officers were also under pressure.

“How can those, who can’t provide even copies of the proceedings, ensure justice for the victims? That is why the PAT thinks that resignations of the CM and the law minister are inevitable,” he said.

The lawyers’ team briefed the PAT chief on the attitude of the officials of the government. Responding to their briefing, Mr Qadri said that it was the reason why the PAT was insisting on the removal from active duty of all those who were involved in the Model Town incident. As long as they occupy offices, fair investigation and trial are not possible. Prosecution must accept its liability for sitting with victims, not killers. Mr Qadri said he hoped that they all would have to step down one day.

He said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s announcement of a movement against the judiciary was a treason case. The bar and bench must take notice this declaration of war by Sharifs as both are custodian of the judiciary. About the resolution in the United Nations’ General Assembly regarding the status of Jerusalem, he said the General Assembly has rejected with overwhelming majority US decision which was an indication of global opinion. Now the Americans must respect democratic norms and reconsider their decision to avoid further friction.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2017