LAHORE: Dr Tahirul Qadri, the chief of Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT), while rejecting the removal of Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah and terming it an eyewash, said that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had ordered the police to open firing at the Minhajul Quran Secretariat in Model Town, Lahore, and he should tender his resignation.

He was addressing a press conference on Friday via video link as many opposition leaders were also present on the occasion. All the opposition parties gathered at the Minhajul QuranInternational (MQI) Secretariat on Friday to reiterate the demand that top ruling personalities including the prime minister, Punjab chief minister, some federal and provincial ministers, senior bureaucrats and entire team in Lahore operation should resign by accepting responsibility for the killing of its 11 workers.

On the other hand, Dr Tahirul Qadri said his workers had exercised restraint; otherwise, they would have set the whole country ablaze.

MQI Federal Council Chairman Hasan Mohiuddin Qadri – the eldest son of Qadri - addressed a press conference along with senior leaders of PPP, PML-Q, MQM, PTI, MWM, MYC, SIC and religious personalities. They demanded that a three-member judicial commission of impartial Supreme Court judges should hold inquiry with the help of unbiased officials of ISI, Military Intelligence and Intelligence Bureau to fix responsibility.

They termed the anti-encroachment operation at MQI secretariat state terrorism and slaughter of MQI workers to deter Qadri from returning to the country for launching anti-government movement.

The senior opposition leaders present on the occasion — PPP Secretary General Jahangir Badr, PPP Punjab President Manzoor Wattoo, PML-Q’s Chaudhry Zaheeruddin, MQM’s Rasheed Godale, PTI Punjab President Ijaz Chaudhry, Imtiaz Naqvi of MWM - stressed that they would stand by Qadri in his movement for restoration genuine democracy, electoral reforms, elimination of corruption and realisation of the fundamental rights of the people.

Hasan, who read out the demands, said the meeting of opposition leaders decided that the FIR registered by police should be discarded and all the arrested be released, as he also called for recovering the missing workers.

He thanked all the opposition parties for expressing solidarity with the MQI and said justice could be provided only through Qisas. He said Qisas for the martyred workers was the destination of revolution which was clear in the sight.

Later, Qadri addressed the press conference and said his workers had exercised restraint after the Model Town tragedy; otherwise, they would have set the whole country ablaze. He reiterated that the barricades around the MQI Secretariat and his house were not erected by his party but by the police on the orders of Lahore High Court (LHC) and if police wanted to remove them the issue could have been resolved amicably.

He rejected the reports that people of the area had lodged complaints against him for closing down several roads. He said if there were complaints, why the government did not address them earlier and why it removed the barricades when he was about to launch the anti-government movement.

Qadri alleged that the PML-N leadership had gone mad on the thought of him launching a movement to re-establish rule of law in the country and eliminate corruption, bad governance, and plunder of public wealth.

He alleged that the Punjab chief minister was actually (Qatil-e-Ala) who had written a historic chapter of brutality and barbarism by attacking MQI Secretariat and his house.

On the reports of removal of Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah and CM’s Principal Secretary Dr Tauqeer Shah, he said it was the victory of his stance that the provincial government had committed a gross injustice. He, however, said removal of one or two persons was just eyewash and demanded that entire team involved in the operation, including the prime minister and chief minister, must be removed.

Qadri opined that Rana Sanaullah was not actually removed but sent on ‘honeymoon’, so that he could be brought back any time. He said by Sana’s removal, Shahbaz Sharif had changed the earlier stance of his government and vindicated MQI’s position.

Earlier, the meeting of opposition leaders also passed a resolution on the murder of MQM MNA Tahira Asif and demanded an inquiry to identify the culprits. Manzoor Wattoo, Zaheeruddin, Rasheed Godale, SIC leader Sahibzada Hasan Raza, Ijaz Chaudhry and others also spoke on the occasion.

Source: www.thenews.com.pk