Karachi: Seeking a peaceful revolution in the country as promised by Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri, his supporters in Karachi gathered for the much-hyped rally of the party on MA Jinnah Road on Sunday a bit too early.

Those who showed up were his die-hard followers and it showed. Out under the sizzling sun, they struggled to beat the heat with ice lollies and sugared lime drink and put up with speeches from speakers whom nobody knew.

To evade the sun, some took cover on sideways, under trees and wherever they could find some shade. The major portion of MA Jinnah Road was booked: from Numaish to Jama Cloth Market, or perhaps more.

“I came from Bhains Colony with my children,” said Nasrin, a supporter. “He [Qadri] is our only hope. See how the politicians are treating us; they don’t care about the people.”

Waving Pakistan Awami Tehreek flags and shouting slogans, the supporters were almost bored of waiting. But as the moment came to the fore, they turned anxious. Excited to hear their leader tell them about the revolution they so passionately believe would become possible.

And finally Qadri did, after sunset, through a video-link from Canada. Qadri shared his various papers on Pakistani’s thorny issues. And the people listened with rapt attention.

Qadri vowed to uproot the current “corrupt system” and introduce “real democracy” in the country through a peaceful revolution, which he claimed, had already began.

Safe for those who came to listen to him, Qadri, in his speech on the 1st anniversary of general election last year, criticised everybody, from the elected lawmakers in the parliament to the judiciary, to every single individual who dared to call the reigning system a democracy.

The speech lasted for less than an hour and the people waited for it for more than four hours. But it was worth it. The crowed left for home with a crash course on the lesser known clauses of Pakistan’s constitution and a dream of impeccable Pakistan – the land of the riches, which is plagued by a “naamnehad” democracy that caters only to the rich.

Unlike other political rallies where people cheer their leader with wild excitement, the g Pakistan Awami Tehreek activists and supporters were suave. They did not go crazy after each utterance their leader floated all the way from Canada. They listened carefully as if noting each word like attentive pupils. And Qadri spoke quoting from the Constitution, the various books he used were neatly marked with yellow sticks notes.

“I am not derailing the system or democracy,” he said, his voice swaying with bandwidth, “because the system itself stands on the shambles of law and the democracy that they preach only suits the rich, who are bent on pillaging the poor.”

Qadri said the people of Pakistan deserved a better life. And the Constitution guarantees free education, right to life, welfare and a lot more that the people of Pakistan do not know about.

Noting that he did not believe in the parliamentary system in the present circumstances, Qadri claimed that he had developed a mechanism to overthrow the elected government – apparently through such protests. He further said his proposal fell under the ambit of the Constitution. “I don’t want to share the mechanism with you today,” he said leaving his listeners in suspense. “I will certainly spell out the legal details for the path we have chosen in the future.”

http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-4-249519-Qadris-promise-of-system-overhaul-attr