ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahirul Qadri refused on Monday to allow the sit-in participants, except the residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, to return home.

“The residents of the twin cities can go home on condition that they spend maximum time at the sit-in, but those from other parts of the country will not leave the place before their chief leaves the Constitution Avenue,” Dr Qadri announced as the sit-in completed its 39th day.

On Sunday, the PAT chief had said he would tell his supporters on the morrow when they could finally go home. He also claimed that the government was planning a crackdown to arrest the protesters.

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He said it was unfortunate that the Election Commission of Pakistan published ‘Post-election Review Report’ on its website in which it was mentioned that the returning officers were responsible for the mess in various constituencies.

“It is difficult to understand that the ECP remained silent after the elections while its management published the report after over nine months,” he said.

Dr Qadri said the report had made it evident that the elections were totally illegal, unconstitutional and against Article 62, 63 and 218 of the Constitution.

“The incumbent assembly and parliament are unconstitutional and undemocratic due to the suspension of Article 62, 63 and 218. Is there anyone who can throw the fake members of the assembly outside the parliament house?”

The PAT chief said that he would announce in a few days the line of action on how to spread his revolutionary movement countrywide.

“It is a success of the sit-in participants that they have created awareness among the nation for their rights.”

Dr Qadri said the first and foremost what a nation should get from its parliament was the provision of fundamental human needs.

He said the World Health Organisation had recommended that at least 6 per cent of GDP be spent on health of a nation, but in Pakistan only 1pc of GDP was spent in the health sector.

“There are fewer than 1,000 public hospitals in Pakistan while after the revolution we will make 1,000 more hospitals and 5,000 dispensaries,” he added.

IMRAN KHAN: Speaking to participants of his party’s sit-in, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan reiterated that he would not end his movement until the resignation of the prime minister.

He said the PTI would break its own record by holding “another historic rally” in Lahore on Sunday.

“We will stage a massive sit-in on Friday in Islamabad and then go to Lahore on Sunday. People of Lahore and Punjab be ready. Karachi has done its job. We will see a sea of people at Minar-i-Pakistan on Sunday.”

The PTI chief said that he would shift his focus to interior of Sindh once he got the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

“I am glad that Pakistanis have woken up while you, the participants of the sit-in, are going to make history. It is the demand of people that we should not leave our movement until the resignation of the prime minister.”

Mr Khan called upon the privileged class to think about 100 million people who did not have access even to toilets and other basic facilities.

He said that thousands of people turned up at PTI’s rally in Karachi on a short notice while the people came in a large number from the airport to Mazar-i-Quaid to “greet us”.

He said Pakistan had been divided into two parts. “One is for the elite while the other is for the underprivileged.”

“We are launching a new programme of Azadi Razakar. You have to send a text message on 0022 and write “Azadi”. You will get a response comprising 10 points. That message should be spread to every nook and corner of the country,” he added.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2014