Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri announces countrywide protest campaign from January 17

Addressing a jam-packed press conference after the meeting of the APC Steering Committee here at the central secretariat, PAT Chairman Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has announced to launch a countrywide protest movement from the 17th of January. He said that we would not seek resignations anymore, for the matter has gone far beyond the issue of resignations. He said that wherever there is PML-N, it will be brought to an end. He said that Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Rana Sanaullah and their accomplices were the architect and planners of Model Town tragedy. He said that the nucleus of the protest movement starting from January 17 is the demand of justice for the martyrs of Model Town. He said that we have invited Imran Khan, Asif Ali Zardari, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Mustafa Kamal, Raja Nasir Abbas and the heads of other political parties for the demonstration on January 17. He said that we would not rest till we get rid of those who attacked the law regarding the belief in the finality of the prophethood, undermined Parliament, destroyed national institutions and looted the state resources.

The PAT Chairman also announced an action committee to supervise the matters related to the protest movement. The committee will consist of Sheikh Rashid, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Abdul Aleem Khan, Senator Kamil Ali Agha, Liaqat Baloch, Nasir Sherazi, and Khurram Nawaz Gandapur. He said that the Steering Committee will stay intact, stating that the action committee will be fully independent in taking decisions. The first meeting of the committee will be held on January 11. Detailed deliberations were held regarding all stages of the protest movement and strategy in the meeting of the APC Steering Committee.

Before the meeting of the Steering Committee, PTI leader Jahangir Khan Tareen, PPP leader Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo, Awami Muslim League leader Sheikh Rashid Ahmad held a one-on-one meeting with PAT Chairman Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri separately at his residence and discussed political matters including the broad contours of the protest campaign.

The meeting of the Steering Committee, which was presided over by Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri, continued for close to two hours. The participants offered their Asr and Maghrib prayers during the course of the meeting. Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, PPP leaders Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, Qamar Zaman Kaira, and Mian Manzoor Wattoo, PTI leaders Jahangir Tareen, Shafqat Mahmood and Abdul Aleem Khan, Jamat-e-Islami leader Liaqat Baloch, PML-Q leaders Senator Kamil Ali Agha and Chaudhry Zaheer-ud-Din, Sunni Ittehad Council leader Sahibzada Hamid Raza, PSP leader Waseem Aftab, Afaq Jamal, Dr Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri, Khurram Nawaz Gandapur, Fayyaz Warraich, and representatives of JUI-Noorani and JUI attended the meeting.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri, while addressing the Steering Committee, said that Justice Najafi Commission report has unmasked the faces of the killers. He said that we have exercised enough of patience, and given enough of time, stating that now is the time to take action. He said that Nawaz Sharif has brought the country to the brink of a precipice, and we would make sure that he is taken to his end.

Expressing his views, Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said that public hatred and disapproval of Nawaz Sharif is enough for the success of the opposition parties. He said that Nawaz Sharif has become a symbol of hatred and now the world will see his political demise. Qamar Zaman Kaira said that we would act upon the decisions of the action and Steering committees. He said that the PPP continues to stand by Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri in this struggle for acquisition of justice. Jahangir Khan Tareen said that time has come when those who destroyed Pakistan are got rid of forever, stating that they should not be left capable of further playing havoc with the destiny of the country. Senator Kamil Ali Agha said that the decisions of the APC will result in burying the political dead body of Nawaz Sharif.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri individually thanked all political parties and their respective leaderships on their unstinted support.