Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri has told the apex court that he believes in rule of law, constitutionalism and democracy. Dr Qadri on Saturday made these remarks in a written reply to the apex court in response to identical pleas against sit-ins in the Red Zone of Islamabad. Earlier, Ali Zafar, the counsel for, had submitted a preliminary response before a five-member bench of Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk on August 22.

Taking benefit of the situation, the PAT raised five questions before the court through his concise reply. Dr Qadri asked: "what should be the demand made to the government if the people believe [and for that they are ready to sacrifice time, money, business and comfort] that the present government is illegitimate because elections were stolen? (As generally held by PAT, PTI, PPP, MQM etc)".

He also asked: "What should be the demands of those 'wonderful' people who believe, and rightly so, that the present government has in the name of democracy, neither delivered, nor kept their promises made to people of Pakistan? "What should be the demands of the people when they find that a loot bazaar is the order of the day and the relevant accountability institutions are systemically weakened, and they want to stop the progress of the nation?

"What should be the demands of people who have learned from the history that the status quo has changed power from one corrupt tola to another instead of any alteration? - It has been a see-saw game - The resignation of Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim proved the failure of the system - What should be their demands in such a case?," he asked. Posing his last question, the PAT Chairman asked: "What should be the demands of people who find a total lack of governance and failure of the government to abide by the rule of law?

In his reply, the PAT Chairman also spelled out some other demands, arguing that it is the demand of people. He demanded that the privatisation of state assets should be carried out transparently. The PAT chairman said that institutional appointments ought to be made independently and with judicial endorsement. He said that Articles 3, 9 to 38 of constitution have never been applied effectively whereas many Articles remain as principles of policy due to non-suitability to successive rulers. He demanded that such constitutional provisions needed to be applied in true letter and spirit.

Referring to his demand about human rights, Dr Qadri said that incumbent government has failed to enforce human rights as demanded by the demonstrators. "Article 140-A which clearly provides that political, financial and administrative authority, should be devolved to grassroots through local bodies. The present rulers have defied judgements of the Supreme Court, directing the elections to the local bodies to be held", Dr Qadri said.

Showing his concern over allocation of funds to members of provincial assemblies Dr Qadri submitted that the Parliamentarians are being provided funds for carrying out development work, while the members of Parliament should have no concern with undertaking works as their job is to legislate, adding that such funds allocation to the Parliamentarians amounts to corruption.

He said demonstrators of the PAT believe in the equality of law for the rich and poor, saying the "massacre" of Model Town involved the poor, and even till to date no FIR has been registered. "While the people are going from pillar to post for justice only because the sitting Chief Minister of the Province is involved. 'What is the rule of law' is the question that the 'sit-in' is asking," Dr Qadri contended. Through the reply, Dr Qadri asked: that "what should be the demands of the people when 'access to information' is being denied which is the fundamental right of the people and as such there is no accountability. "It is the demand of the people that there should be accountability within political parties, within institutions, and that the institutions involved in accountability should work in a transparent and independent manner," his reply concluded.

Source: http://www.brecorder.com/