Daily Times

LAHORE: Leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) have jointly announced that they would participate in each other’s scheduled rallies on September 3 in Lahore and Rawalpindi.

A delegation of PTI, led by former Punjab governor and party’s stalwart Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, met PAT Secretary General Khuram Nawaz Gandapur at his office in Model Town on Monday.

The PAT secretary assured PTI leadership of his party’s full participation in the accountability rally, while Sarwar assured him PTI’s support in the Qisas movement.

The PTI delegation comprised of Punjab Opposition Leader Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed and Information Secretary Syed Syed Samsam Bukhari, while PAT delegation included Khuram Nawaz Gandapur, Punjab President Busharat Jaspal and Media Secretary Noorullah Siddique.

Both parties discussed bilateral issues, besides reflecting upon the incompetence and corruption of the government. Talking to media after the meeting, Sarwar said, “PAT has accepted our invitation regarding participation in the accountability rally while we are standing beside Tahirul Qadri in his party’s the Qisas movement.”

He said the rulers always depicted non-seriousness when it came to transparent accountability, adding that the government’s silence on Indian aggression in Kashmir and Altaf Hussain’s controversial remarks was deplorable. “Such immature attitude towards grave issues’ shows that the government is not only abstaining from performing its national duties, but was also unwilling to convince international community on Indian aggression,” he added.

Sarwar said statements from Altaf Hussain were tantamount to an attack on national security and sovereignty, but the government’s response to the issue was also a matter of immense shame and dissatisfaction.

The PTI leader said that the process of accountability should start from the prime minister first, as corruption was also a heinous threat to security and stability of Pakistan. He confirmed that his party would invite all parties, including Pakistan People’s Party, to participate in their movement against corruption, as all opposition parties were united on Panama leaks, which according to him only unveiled one percent corruption of rulers.

“Strict action should be taken against those who waived off their loans and did corruption irrespective of their political affiliation,” he demanded.

Khuram Nawaz Gandapur on the occasion said PTI, under the leadership of Imran Khan, was supporting the Qisas movement while his party would participate in the accountability rally besides all bilateral protests.

Gandapur said that PTI and PAT condemn the criminal silence of PM on Indian aggression, adding that the Qisas movement would continue until justice for Model Town martyrs was not served.