Daily Times

The Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) has announced the relaunching of its protest movement from January 17 after the failure of the government to bring the culprits of the Model Town tragedy to justice. A total of 14 PAT workers were killed and many injured during clashes with police on June 17, 2014. The police were probably sent to keep PAT Chairman Tahirul Qadri under pressure; however, the situation spun out of control. After the brutal killings, the PAT chief gave the protests a political tinge by converting his party’s anger into a long march to Islamabad. He didn’t hesitate to arrange a rented crowd. This fact came to light when a female PAT life member moved a court for recovery of the amount she along with other participants was promised by the party for attending the PAT dharna (sit-in). The PAT and its mother organisation Minhajul Quran International, run a network of thousands of educational institutions across the country and a charity organization that has a global network. The network is offering bread and butter to thousands of Pakistanis, who spring into action at the call of their leader. In the absence of their chief who is still abroad, the success of the second phase of the movement is uncertain. PAT seeks the judicial inquiry report yet to be made public or presented in the Lahore High Court despite its orders, disbanding of the Joint Investigation Team, referral of the Model Town incident case to a military court and the resignation of Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif. A signature campaign is also being launched against the posting of former Punjab Principal Secretary Tauqeer Shah to the World Trade Organisation, who according to PAT is the main accused of the incident. The PAT protest will be followed immediately by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s (PTI’s) campaign from January 18. Although PAT has termed it only a coincidence, yet the simultaneity of both protest movements will bring additional pressure on the government.

The tragic incident at Model Town was the result of the Punjab government’s inability to handle political matters logically. In order to evade accountability, Rana Sanaullah, the then Punjab Law Minister, was made a scapegoat. The government should realise that no compromise can be made on law and justice. The delay in provision of justice to the PAT is casting the government’s sincerity into doubt. A transparent inquiry should be held into the June 17, 2014 incident after taking the PAT into confidence and those found responsible should be punished. The government should also form a judicial commission to probe the 2013 elections for removing the PTI’s complaints. Instead of political wrangling with the PTI and PAT all over again, the government should focus on the elimination of terrorism. Our country is not in a position to afford another protest movement. The entire nation is united against terrorism, so the main focus should be the elimination of this curse and not political issues that can be resolved. *