Internews
Islamabad
Firebrand opposition cleric Tahirul Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) has decided in principle to call off the protest sit-in from D Chowk in the Pakistan capital Islamabad and a decision in this regard is likely to be announced after the party’s Lahore public rally, party sources said yesterday.
In the first stage, PAT has rolled up 500 tents this week erected in front of Parliament House calling it a “security risk” hence giving control of the area to the police. Analysts believe that PAT’s decision would be fatal for the sit-in of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehrik Insaf as it is totally dependent upon PAT’s strength.
Umar Abbasi, PAT senior leader and spokesman, said, when contacted, that the party had “taken revolution at the doorsteps of people” while continuing its sit-in on the Constitution Avenue and that they might call off the sit-in but any decision in this regard would be made after Qadri’s Lahore rally in a few days.
Another senior PAT leader said that with the joint sit-in held by Qadri and Khan, the entire strength was of PAT but the media and the public at large only gave importance to PTI thus showing PAT as a secondary party of the two protesting against the government.
“Qadri offered Khan to form a joint venture against the government which was rejected by Khan,” the PAT leader said, adding: “It was then decided to hold public rallies and mobilise people by visiting their hometowns instead of sitting on the Constitution Avenue.”
Abbasi said that the sit-in could be called off because Qadri was getting overwhelming response from the public as he, recently visiting Jhang district, noted that “every gathering was historic and mammoth crowds” turned up to be part of revolution.
“As of today, the PAT sit-in is very much there on the Constitution Avenue and the party has itself rolled up the 500 tents because they were a security risk for the participants. People have been sent back to their respective cities to make arrangements for Qadri’s public rallies,” he said.
He added that people from Faisalabad and Lahore had been sent back to their towns and a decision to call off the sit-in would be made after Lahore’s rally which would be held on October 19.
The PAT leader while replying to a question said that the results of public mobilisation were better and healthy for PAT. Instead of sitting on the Constitution Avenue, the party may announce to call off the sit-in but not the revolution, he added.