LAHORE: The Pakistan Awami Tehreek has rejected police authorities’ advice to cancel its plans to take out a procession for receiving its chief Dr Tahirul Qadri who arrives here on Thursday morning after staying abroad for about three weeks.

From the airport, the PAT chief will be taken to the shrine of Data Gunj Bakhsh in a procession, notwithstanding police warning of security risks.

Although Lahore police claim to have made adequate security arrangements for Dr Qadri, the authorities fear their task may become difficult because of the public gathering. They made an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the local PAT leadership from taking out the procession.

Police carried out a search in and around the airport on Wednesday night.

Rejecting a perception that the Punjab police could take the Canada-based cleric into custody, Home Minister retired Col Shuja Khanzada said at a press conference that the government would instead provide the best security cover to Dr Qadri who has been demanding resignation of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif over the Model Town killings of his workers.

The PAT chief had held a 70-day sit-in in Islamabad before going abroad. His sudden decision to end the sit-in had created differences among his allies, including the PML-Q and Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM), though none of them would admit it publicly.

“There was a difference of opinion on the issue but it was resolved in a number of consultative meetings under the principle that the major stakeholder (PAT) should be given more weight in the final decision,” MWM leader Nasir Abbas Sherazi told Dawn on phone. Muharram was another factor in terminating the sit-in, he claimed.

The MWM had second prominent presence in the Islamabad protest camp.

Mr Sherazi said MWM workers would also join the PAT rally to welcome Dr Qadri.

PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi were active when Dr Qadri earlier landed on the Lahore airport on June 23. Mr Elahi had even driven Dr Qadri from the airport to the latter’s residence.

But this time the Q-League, which reportedly opposed the wrapping up of the sit-in, appears to be not quite enthusiastic about receiving the PAT chief at the airport.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2014