Pakistan Awami Tehreek(PAT) chief Tahirul Qadri, here on Tuesday announced to extend moral and financial support for the ongoing military operation against terrorists in North Waziristan. While addressing a press conference at Model Town he announced to send relief goods to internally displaced persons (IDPs). Qadri said that rallies would be held every Friday to express solidarity with Pakistan Army.
He announced that PAT and Minhaj-ul-Quran International (MQI) would dispatch 25, 000 bags of food and medicines to IDPs camps. Party workers will start donation collection campaign throughout the county, he added. He alleged that policemen disguised civil dresses had carried out terrorism at Islamabad airport and blamed it on PAT's unarmed civilians. He alleged, "Rulers are using police for state terrorism".
In response to a question, he said that more than 1400 PAT's workers were arrested and booked under anti-terrorism act. Punjab police fired teargas on people in Islamabad when they were offering Fajr prayers, he alleged. They had come to capital city for my reception, he maintained. About the Lahore tragedy, in which a dozen of his supporters were killed and several injured, he said that it was the worst example of state terrorism. He further added that innocent women and children were fired indiscriminately.
Qadri said that 1,400 of his supporters were arrested by the police. He said, "There is no reality in the allegation levelled by government that PAT workers attacked on the Islamabad Police". He said Minhajul Quran workers remained peaceful during demonstration, especially in Lahore and Islamabad. Meanwhile, a delegation of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) called on Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahirul Qadri at his residence on Tuesday.
MQM leader Ameenul Haq conveyed him Altaf Hussain's message and condemned the inhuman behaviour of the government with the PAT workers at Lahore and Islamabad. Haq expressed solidarity with those died in the Model Town tragedy.Condemning the murder of female MNA of his party, he said a judicial inquiry should be set up to probe the murder of MNA Tahira Asif. Dr Qadri thanked the MQM delegation for expressing solidarity with his party and injured PAT supporters.
Rehan Hashmi, Asif Hasnain, Abdul Haseeb, Iftikhar Randhawa, Irshad Zafeer, Qamar Mansoor and MQM central Punjab president Amir Baloch were also present on the occasion. Earlier, Dr Tahirul Qadri led the funeral prayers of Shahbaz(20) at the premises of Minhajul Quran Secritariat. Shahbaz was injured in the Model Town tragedy and took his last breath in the Jinnah Hospital on Monday morning.