ISLAMABAD: The air was tense on Constitution Avenue on Sunday evening. With his counterpart at D-Chowk visiting Karachi to address the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) gathering there, Dr Tahirul Qadri beseeched his followers to stay with him, as he had been receiving “disturbing reports”.

He specifically asked his supporters from the twin cities to stay on and promised to tell them by Monday when they could finally go home.

Know more: Qadri urges ‘patriotic institutions’ to act against ‘corrupt’ rulers

The Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief also claimed that the leadership of the ruling party was not ready to resign, despite their implication in the report of the judicial commission formed to investigate the killings of his party workers in the Model Town incident of June 17.

“The judicial commission’s report stated that the prime minister and the Punjab chief minister were responsible for the deaths of 14 people, but despite findings of the report, the Sharif brothers are not ready to budge,” Mr Qadri said.

He also alleged that the government had arrested members of the PAT contingent who prepared food for participants of the sit-ins and said that the administration was trying to starve them out. He warned that such moves would prove dangerous for the powers-that-be.

Congratulating Imran Khan on a successful visit to Karachi, he said, “The marchers have come to Islamabad to teach the rulers of this country about democracy.”

He again promised his followers that the PML-N government would be sent packing in the next few days at the hands of the revolutionaries.

During the day, things were awfully quiet at D-Chowk, with both Mr Khan and DJ Butt — the maestro behind the PTI’s sound system — in Karachi. However, things picked up later at night when both returned to the sit-in.

Addressing a scant group of followers from the top of his container on D-Chowk, Mr Khan said, “We have decided that we will not become part of the present National Assembly. We will create a new assembly and become a part of that,” the PTI chief said.

He also called upon PTI supporters in New York City to stage a protest outside United Nations headquarters when the prime minister heads there later this week.

Mr Khan also announced that following a successful outing in Karachi, they were preparing for another PTI gathering at Lahore’s historic Minar-i-Pakistan. The party is expected to announce a date for the gathering on Monday.

He also referred to Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar’s statement, where the latter had expressed concerns over corruption by government ministers.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd , 2014