Qadri urges Gen Sharif to keep his word

TORONTO: Rejecting government-appointed-committee probe into Model Town massacre as biased, Pakistan Awami Tehreek leader Dr Tahirul Qadri Friday ironically advised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to head the joint investigation team (JIT) and give himself a clean chit, Samaa reported.

“Prime minister better appoint himself the chief and his kinspersons/cronies as members of the JIT and get away with all the charges leveled against him”, Qadri said while addressing a press conference from Canada via video-link.

Moving ahead, the populist cleric urged the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Raheel Sharif to keep his word regarding the removal of Shahbaz Sharif as chief minister of Punjab and an impartial probe into the brutal murders of PAT workers at the hands of Lahore police.

"Mr Sharif, ‘a gentlemen of a general’ like you is hard to find in the army. The FIR of Model Town tragedy was registered on your behest. Now we beseech you to fulfill your promise of having justice served on Model Town martyrs”, Qadri said while declaring the COAS a true Muslim.

At least 14 workers of PAT were killed, while scores of others injured in deadly police crackdown on June 17, 2013 outside PAT secretariat in Model town.

Earlier, an anti-terrorism court issued the arrest warrants for opposition leader and former cricketer Imran Khan and cleric Tahir ul-Qadri late on Wednesday. The warrants accused their supporters of storming parliament and the state television building on Sept 1.

The warrants may provoke fresh unrest at a time when the country is struggling to rebuild its image.

Thousands of protesters led by Khan and Qadri demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over allegations of corruption and vote-rigging in the May 2013 polls.

The rallies turned deadly in September when demonstrators clashed with police in a central area near government buildings and embassies. Three people were killed.--SAMAA/Agencies

Source: http://www.samaa.tv/pakistan/14-Nov-2014/pm-better-head-jit-to-acquit-himself-qadri