Central PAT President Dr Raheeq Ahmad Abbasi has said that after Peshawar tragedy, Shikarpur tragedy is yet another wound on an already hurt soul of the nation. He said the country is in a state of war and we appeal to the legal fraternity not to oppose the establishment of military courts given the sensitivity of the situation. He said that had the power-drunk and wealth-hungry rulers been sensitive to the needs and sufferings of the masses, we would not have had to see this day. He said that terrorists are playing with the lives and properties of people while politicking and jockeying for power continues inside and outside the assemblies and corridors of power. He said that PAT strongly condemns the terrorist incident in Shikarpur on behalf of Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri. He said that we express our condolences to the families of over 60 martyrs and pray for recovery of the scores of injured. He said that we demand that perpetrators of this horrible crime are arrested at the earliest and meted out exemplary punishment.

Dr Raheeq Abbasi expressed these views while talking to various delegations of PAT leaders and workers belonging to different cities of South Punjab yesterday. He said that former Punjab Governor, Ch. Sarwar, has exposed the so-called political face of the Sharif brothers and their claims of good governance. He said that PILDAT, in its latest report, has exposed the criminal role of Punjab government and police in the Model Town tragedy after the judicial commission inquiry. He said that the rulers are not interested in elimination of terrorism, adding that the more they get time to stay in power, the more havoc they would inflict on the country. He said that it was PAT which first demanded the establishment of military courts because we believe that some elements in the ruling elite are in touch with the terrorists and their overbearing influence on the country’s courts is known to all and sundry. He said that the anti-terrorism courts will only be able to take up terrorism cases after they get free from hearing false and politically motivated cases against Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri.