Addressing the Qisas rally in Multan via video link from Lahore, PAT Chairman Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri said that the Sharif government killed 14 innocent people in Model Town when we challenged its anti-people policies, corruption and terrorism. He asked the PM to tell as to what action he took against those who attacked the national integrity. He said that the nation is aware as to why the government continues to remain silent on such critical matters as the arrest of the RAW agent from Balochistan, atrocities in the Indian occupied Kashmir and the anti-military speeches in the Parliament; under whose burden of gratitude he is and why the protection of national security has assumed secondary importance. He vowed to continue the movement till the Qisas is done in the Model Town case. He said that the movement is for elimination of oppression and provision of justice. He said that at a time when the national security and integrity is being attacked, the ruling brothers are busy inaugurating the motorways.

Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, Jamshed Dasti, Khawaja Amir Fareed Koreja, Sardar Shakir Mazari, Fayyaz Warraich, Dr Zubair and others addressed the protest rally. Thousands of people including women and civil society organizations attended the demonstration. They staged sit-in against the government for lack of justice in the Model Town case. The rally started from Ghanta Ghar chowk and concluded on ‘Nawan chowk’. The protesters chanted slogans against the government and in favour of justice.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri asked several questions: Why were our innocent people killed? Why was our FIR not allowed to be registered? Why has the report of the Model Town judicial commission has not been released to date? Why was a siege laid around the Model Town? Why were thousands of the PAT workers put behind the bar? He said that we want to tell the nation that it was on the intervention of the Army Chief that our FIR was registered. It is for this reason that we look up to the COAS for provision of justice. He said that the government has held the institutions hostage and the loyalties of their heads have been purchased by the rulers. He said that they have huge heaps of wealth stashed in such places as Panama. He however added in the same breath that if the filthy rich rulers failed to buy anyone to date, they are the poor but honorable workers of PAT who rejected offers of millions of rupees.

While referring to the remark of three honorable judges of the Supreme Court, the PAT Chairman said that the worthy justices of the apex court stated in crystal clear terms that if corruption and bad practices were not put an end to, the foundations of the state would be rendered hollow. He reminded that the Army Chief had also spoken of nexus between corruption and terrorism a few weeks ago. He said that irrefutable proofs of Model Town tragedy are lying before the nation and the courts, adding that the Panama leaks case awaits justice along with ‘living’ proofs. 150 mega scandals of corruption are crying out for action. The judicial inquiry of loan write-off awaits action. He said that the institutions have to decide whether the Sharif business interests are more important or the interests of the nation.

Dr Qadri stated that we are not against the development projects, stating that none is more progressive than us. He said that such fancy projects of worth billions of rupees make sense only when every child is able to go to school, every degree holder has a job, every patient has enough medical care, there is no power outage, and there is complete peace and tranquility etc. He said that when the residents of Dajjal city protested against bloody robberies and demanded security, police booked 1500 residents instead of arresting the robbers. He said that in the past, the peaceful citizens did not leave their homes due to fear of robbers. Now they avoid coming out owing to fear of police raids. He said that one citizen Asif of Multan committed suicide after poisoning his children due to poverty. He said that he shifted his children from school to a seminary due to his inability to pay their fees. He said that when the state is unable to educate its children, they end up being in religious seminaries with questionable and unknown sources of income. It is how they become suicide bombers and terrorists after brainwashing.

The PAT Chairman said that democratic governments spend resources on the welfare of their citizens. They spend on their education, health, provision of employment and justice but in Pakistan, the rulers spend them on mega projects with enormous opportunities of corruption. He said that these projects have failed to improve the living standard of the people; the poverty has increased and debts have piled up.