Daily Times

LAHORE: The PAT (Pakistan Awami Tehreek) Secretary General Khurram Nawaz Gandapur claiming that 18 of his party’s workers were arrested from their houses without any reason, has written an open letter to the Chief Justice of Lahore High Court for relief as the arrested workers lives are allegedly in danger.

He requested the LHC Chief Justice to issue immediate orders for their release. He further said that if any harm came to any of these workers, than responsibility would rest on the shoulders of Mian Nawaz Sharif, Mian Shahbaz Sharif, Ch Nisar Ali Khan and the IG Punjab Police.

In his letter, the PAT leader named the 18 arrested workers. He said on the 27th of October, he had filed a writ petition in the LHC through his lawyer Ch Ishtiaq seeking protection from police for his workers. He said if immediate action was taken on his petition, this incident would not have taken place.

Gandapur said that the rulers have lost their senses and in its desperation forgotten to respect the honour of the “Chaddar and Chardiwari” (home, its walls and the head scarf.). He said the rulers have lost all respect for law and the constitution, and courts are the only forum from where the people can get relief from such dictatorial actions. The letter requested consideration be given to the request of Pakistan Awami Tehreek and the Punjab police be stopped from taking any illegal action against PAT workers. The letter requested the LHC CJ to issue orders for the immediate release of PAT workers.

In a press release issued from the party headquarters, the PAT chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri termed Friday as a sad day as the rulers, who he said had trampled democracy under their foot in Rawalpindi and Islamabad just to loot and plunder money they had stolen from taxpayers of the country.

Qadri was addressing a meeting of his party officials in London. He said that the rulers were bent upon repeating another tragedy as was demonstrated in the Model Town incident.

He asked why Imran Khan and Sheikh Rashid were being harassed in their own country. “If democracy means protecting the corrupt, promoting hooliganism and depriving the common man of justice, than a million curses on such democracy. This is being done to protect the ill-gotten wealth of the rulers.