LAHORE: The Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) will take part in the upcoming general elections as party chief Dr Tahirul Qadri has accorded approval to a suggestion in this regard.

A decision to the effect was taken at a meeting of the party elders here on Sunday.

A source said that PAT organisations had been asked to send the party secretariat the lists of potential candidates who could contest the polls with their own resources.

Meanwhile, Dr Qadri said in a statement that Nawaz Sharif had promoted terrorism instead of eliminating the menace.

He said Mr Sharif had opposed the Swat army operation and delayed launching of Zarb-i-Azb, besides “frustrating” the National Action Plan that carried endorsement of all the political parties.

He said the former premier had become a security risk as he was targeting the army and the judiciary at the behest of “foreign forces to save his foreign assets”.

He hoped the masses of all the provinces would reject the PML-N in the general election.

The PAT chief welcomed the suo motu notice taken by the Supreme Court on privatisation of the PIA, alleging the rulers had been selling off state assets to their front men at throw-away prices and the case of PIA would not be different.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2018