LAHORE: The chief of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Tahirul Qadri left the country on Wednesday morning for `his engagements’ in Europe and Canada. According to party sources, he has around 90-day scheduled engagements in Turkey, Europe and Canada.

“Since there is no urgency left in Pakistan for him to stay after reserving his right to agitate for Model Town victims at more propitious time, he shifted the focus to organizational matters,” says party spokesman Noorul Siddiqui.

The party insiders, however, claim that Qadri has been disheartened by the “failure of his colleagues in agitation,” especially at the first joint show at Lahore on Dec 17 when all the participating parties took the PAT for a ride. “These parties failed to mobilize their own workers but blamed the PAT for thin attendance on The Mall,” said a party official.

“This realization made the PAT chief unilaterally postpone his agitation. At a party meeting (after the Jan 17 rally), Qadri Sahib was requested to spare more time for the organizational matters rather than befitting others at the party’s expense. The chief mercifully agreed and got out of the agitational mode.”

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2018