LAHORE: The Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT) will commemorate not only the lives lost in violent clashes in Lahore's Model Town but also those of soldiers killed in the ongoing operation Zarb-i-Azb, party chief Tahirul Qadri said on Wednesday.
“I want to especially say that August 10 is for Model Town martyrs. But more than that, it will be about Pakistan Army’s martyrs killed in Zarb-i-Azb,” Qadri told a press conference in Lahore.
He was accompanied by Pakistan Muslim League – Q (PML-Q) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen leader.
“We have guaranteed that if people coming to attend the prayers and the 'Day of Martyrs' are not harassed or attacked by government, then it will be as peaceful as the January 2013 rally,” said the PAT chief.
Qadri warned the Punjab government against harassing its supporters coming to the rally.
“The Quran and the law allows (PAT supporters) to do what they can to protect themselves,” he said.
“The government has been playing the role of murderers. On June 17, they killed 14 people and injured nine in Model Town. Nearly two months have passed but even an FIR has not been registered. Do you call this democracy?”
He further questioned the current democratic system, saying: “People are saying don’t derail democracy, but what is the definition of democracy? Casting a paper [vote] is democracy? No one – even anyone from the N-league – can say that the votes were cast in a fair manner.”
Qadri had previously announced that his party would give a ‘last warning’ to the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) government to bring to justice the people involved in the killing of its 12 supporters in the Model Town tragedy.
He is yet to announce a date for the ‘revolution march’ – a protest rally that he claims will root out the “prevailing corrupt system” in Pakistan.
