ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Chief Tahirul Qadri has formally demanded of the prime minister, the Punjab chief minister and their cabinets to step down immediately.

Addressing the participants of ‘Inqilab March,’ Qadri said that federal and provincial government’s top-notch should be arrested as he added that session court in Lahore ordered police to register a case “against the prime minister and the chief minister” over Model Town tragedy.

He said that the names of 21 nominated by Minhajul Quran (MuQ) in its application to the police should be put on Exit Control List (ECL) so that they could not flee.

Putting forth another demand, Qadri said that the parliament and the provincial assemblies should be dissolved immediately.

Stating his third demand, the PAT chief said that a national government be formed following the dissolution of the parliament and provincial assemblies.

Accountability should be carried out against each corrupt political leaders, bureaucrats and public office bearers, he said while announcing his fourth demand.

He said after the formation of the national government, it should ensure imposition of a 10-point socio-economic agenda for underprivileged people, who he said, are being deprived of their rights.

These 10 points are:

1. Restoration of legal and constitutional rights of people

2. Provision of basic necessities (including shelter, food, jobs, education and medical faculties at doorsteps) and elimination of hunger, poverty, unemployment.

3. Elimination of terrorism/extremism

4. Accountability

5. Democracy: No martial law will be tolerated in Pakistan

6. Electoral reforms

7. Devolution of power

8. Minority rights: The revolution will put an end to the practice of declaring minority Muslim sects as non-Muslims.

9. Autonomy for district governments

10. Creating at least 23 new provinces in the country

Why this revolution?

"This is a democratic, peaceful and green revolution. We want a peaceful change, reforms in the system. It will be wrong to say we don’t believe in democracy. We want true participatory democracy. Democracy doesn’t mean just casting votes after five years. It is not the totality of democracy. It is a system of accountability. Democracy means free and fair elections, which never existed in Pakistan," he said.

“We need a change for a true democracy. This system is oppressive and totally based on injustice.”

Appeal to shopkeepers

In the beginning of his address, the PAT chief asked the shopkeepers in Islamabad to keep their businesses opened and to sell edible items on reasonable prices.

He promised them that his workers are peaceful and would not cause any harm to them. -Samaa

Source: http://www.samaa.tv/