ISLAMABAD, Jan 15: But for the ‘unexpected’ Supreme Court order for the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, the PPP-led coalition government was comfortable with Dr Tahirul Qadri camping with his ‘million marchers’ near D-Chowk in front of the parliament house for four days, until January 17.

“We are now waiting for the developments to unfold clearly before we decide our next move,” sources in the government told Dawn on the second day of Dr Qadri’s long march.

According to the sources, it was after assessing the situation and in light of reports from agencies regarding the number of participants of the march that the government had decided to adopt a “wait-and-see policy” and allow the protesters to stay at the Jinnah Avenue for four days before executing its “next plan”.

Security officials believed that the protesters would not be able to stay at the protest venue for more than four days because of cold weather. Moreover, the marchers had food and other material for a maximum of four days.

Similarly, the sources said, the organisers had hired buses and other vehicles for four days. And it was confirmed by a participant who said he had come in a bus that had been paid four days’ rent.

It is under this plan that the government has so far shown no interest in holding a formal or informal dialogue with Dr Qadri to persuade him to end his protest. Only the city administration headed by Chief Commissioner Tariq Pirzada had been in contact with the organisers and that too regarding the arrangements at the venue.

Before announcement of the SC’s verdict against him, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf contacted leaders of various political parties, including PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, and briefed them about the government’s strategy to deal with the long march.

According to an official handout, the prime minister said the government was exercising “restraint, patience and tolerance”, which should not be taken as a sign of weakness. “Nobody will be allowed to impose his personal agenda.”

Besides Mr Sharif, the prime minister had talked to Pakhtunkhawa Milli Awami Party leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai, ANP president Asfandyar Wali Khan, MQM chief Altaf Hussain and PML-Q’s Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.

The handout claims that there was a consensus among all leaders on upholding the Constitution and the democratic system and the leaders agreed that the entire focus of all democratic and political forces should be on preparations for next general elections and on holding them in a free, fair and impartial manner under the supervision of the election commission.

When contacted, PML-N spokesman Pervez Rashid clarified that Mr Sharif had not extended any support to the prime minister, but had assured him that the PML-N would continue to work for upholding the Constitution and rule of law.

Meanwhile, talking to reporters during his visit to D-Chowk on Tuesday afternoon, Interior Minister Rehman Malik claimed that there had been no contact between the government and Dr Qadri after PML-Q leaders had met him in Lahore last week.

“At least, not in my knowledge” was his reply when asked if the government had formally or informally approached Dr Qadri after his arrival in Islamabad to defuse the situation. The minister, however, claimed that Dr Qadri had gone out of his specially-designed bullet-proof container during the day to meet someone. “He (Dr Qadri) was not in his container for a sufficient time. And I think he should himself tell that whom he had gone to meet,” he said.

Refusing to comment on the SC’s verdict against the prime minister, Mr Malik termed it “unexpected”. Similarly, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira while talking to a TV channel questioned its “timing” as thousands of protesters were holding a sit-in demanding immediate dissolution of parliament. The information minister had ruled out on Monday the possibility of talks with Dr Qadri on his “unconstitutional demands”.

A senior PML-N leader also expressed surprise over the SC’s decision at a time when the long march was at its peak. “The SC could have waited for some time before issuing the verdict,” he said.