LAHORE: The Mall Road’s ‘poor’ show by the opposition alliance led by Dr Tahirul Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) over Model Town killings has forced the two major mainstream parties — the PPP and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) — to revisit their strategy regarding participation of the party heads in next round of the movement to oust the PML-N government.

Neither the PPP nor the PTI is sure whether their chiefs — Asif Ali Zardari and Imran Khan, respectively — will address the next round of protest rallies in connection with the PAT-led movement to seek justice for the families of the victims of Model Town shooting. The PAT on the other hand says it is “immaterial” whether Mr Zardari or Mr Khan turn up to be with Dr Qadri in the next rally.

The opposition alliance is down spirited after its maiden Lahore show was marred by controversies like ‘empty chairs’, Imran Khan and Sheikh Rashid’s cursing of parliament and poor coordination among the participating parties. Drubbing on this by the ruling PML-N led to blame game in the opposition camp, passing the buck on each other for the ‘poor show’ that failed to put any kind of pressure on the Shahbaz Sharif government on the issue of Model Town incident in which 14 supporters of Dr Qadri were in killed in June 2014.

The opposition alliance had taken to the streets to oust the PML-N government both at the centre and in Punjab after Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah did not entertain Dr Qadri’s demand for their resignation over their alleged role in the killings.

“Our workers left the venue after Mr Zardari’s address. It was the duty of the PTI to ensure presence of its workers in The Mall rally but it could not,” Punjab PPP general secretary Chaudhry Manzoor told Dawn in response to a question who was responsible for the fiasco. He said the use of word ‘laanat’ (curse) for parliament (by Imran Khan and Sheikh Rashid) had diverted the focus of the event which was the Model Town tragedy.

Asked if the alliance would remain intact, the PPP leader said: “It is not an ARD-like alliance. We have gathered on one platform for a humanitarian cause.” Regarding participation of Mr Zardari in the next rally, Mr Chaudhry said: “Let us see...the steering committee (of the joint opposition) will decide the future course of action.”

PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry said the Lahore rally was not organised to gather people. “It was a big thing that all opposition parties gathered against the government to seek justice for the victims.” When asked if Imran Khan was willing to participate in the next rally, Mr Chaudhry said: “I have no idea. The steering committee will be in a position to say anything on it.”

The steering committee includes members of the PTI, the PPP, the PML-Q, the Awami Muslim League, Jamaat-i-Islami, Pak Sarza­meen Party and the PAT.

PAT secretary general Khurram Nawaz Gandapur, who is the coordinator of the committee, told Dawn that the body would decide future course of action shortly. “The PAT’s central executive committee and Shura will be meeting on Jan 27 and 28, respectively, to discuss future course of action. It is subject to the court’s proceedings in the Model Town case. However, this movement will continue till justice is ensured for the aggrieved families,” he said.

Asked about deliberations in the PTI that its head should not participate in the next rally, Mr Gandapur said: “It is immaterial whether Mr Khan or Mr Zardari participate in the rallies. The thing that matters is that the opposition is united and struggling to seek justice for the families of the Model Town victims.”

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2018