PAT to hold a public meeting in Rawalpindi on May 25

The Core Committee, which was constituted after the retirement of Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri from politics, held its first meeting with convener Khurram Nawaz Gandapur in the chair. The Committee has been mandated to use the political powers of the MQI leader and will be the highest decision-making forum of PAT.

Briefing the journalists after the meeting, central Secretary Information Noorullah Siddiqui said that the Core Committee has demanded of the government to withdraw the cases against the PAT and MQI workers registered by the Shahbaz and Nawaz governments. He said that the Committee also expressed its deep concern on the delay in the provision of justice in the Model Town case.

The central Secretary Information further stated that PAT will hold a public meeting in Liaqat Bagh on the occasion of its foundation day on May 25 and announce the next course of action.

Chairman MQI Supreme Council Dr Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri attended the second session of the Core Committee as a special guest. The meeting also announced the final members of the Core Committee that include Qazi Zahid Hussain, Basharat Jaspal, Mian Zahid Islam, Mian Rehan Maqbool, Raja Zahid Mahmood, Noorullah Siddiqui, Arif Chaudhry, Qazi Shafique, Mian Kashif Mahmood, Noor Ahmad Sahoo, Toquir Awan, Rao Arif Rizvi, Chaudhry Sultan, Rao Kamran, Ijaz Saddozai, Syed Zafar Iqbal and Ibrar Raza Advocate.

MQI leader Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri congratulated the members of the Core Committee and said that the PAT is doing politics in line with its stated ideology, which is to change the current outdated system. He told the participants of the meeting that no significant headway has been made by way of the provision of justice to the families of the martyrs of the Model Town tragedy during the tenure of the current government. He said that the oppressed families keep on looking for justice in the same way they were before. He said we would run a campaign for a change in the system in collaboration with like-minded political parties and civil society organizations. He warned that as long as the current system remains, it can lead to a bigger disaster.

The Core Committee decided to field its candidates in the general elections in AJ&K and stated that the PAT will take an active part in the local government elections as well. The meeting also expressed its deep concern about the skyrocketing inflation and asked the government to control the dearness. The meeting also asked the government to ensure the payments to the sugarcane growers.

Arif Chaudhry and Qazi Shafique were appointed deputy conveners of the Core Committee.