PAT to organize rallies, not sit-ins: Spokesman clarifies

A Spokesman of Pakistan Awami Tehreek has said that the government has been flabbergasted by Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri’s announcement of a series of public rallies against price hike, rampant corruption and inflation. He said that it was the result of the pressure mounted by this announcement that the government had resorted to negative tactics aimed at spreading misinformation and creating confusion in the minds of the people. He said that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was busy in negatively portraying the public protest campaign through the so-called journalists and opinion makers whose pens and conscience it had bought.

The Spokesman made it clear that the public rally in Lahore on December 29 would be the first of many rallies and not sit-ins in which Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri would not participate. He said that the government was so fearful of Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri’s popularity and acceptance of his message that it was misleading masses by saying that Dr Qadri was coming to take part in the rally on December 29. He clarified that PAT was going to arrange rallies and not sit-ins on December 29 in Lahore and January 5 in Rawalpindi which would be attended by a large number of people belonging to all walks of life. He said that it was also being misreported that Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri was coming to Pakistan to stage a sit-in during winter once again.

He said that staging peaceful demonstrations and taking out rallies was a democratic and constitutional right of the people. He said that call for revolution would be given later on at an appropriate time, adding that Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri would be present among the masses to lead the revolution and would not go back. He said that his life and death was for the sake of Pakistan and the people of Pakistan. He said that the Minister for Information could not befool masses by spending millions of rupees from the public funds.

The Spokesman said that the awareness created by dynamic leadership of Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri would culminate in the form of a green and peaceful revolution. He said that media was fourth pillar of the state having a leading role to play in bringing about prosperity and stability in the country. He said that fragrance of revolution could not be eliminated with the power of money.