LAHORE: The chief of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), Tahirul Qadri, arrived here on Thursday morning from London, promising to continue his struggle for justice for those killed in Model Town during a police operation in June 2014.

Mr Qadri, who keeps popping in and out of the country, this time returned after a 10-day foreign tour and, according to party sources, will have a longer stay here “till Justice Baqar Najfi’s report is made public and cases regarding the Model Town tragedy are finalised.”

Talking to the media at Lahore airport, he said he had returned to the country to celebrate Eidul Azha here, whereas deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif left Pakistan on the occasion.

The court has put provincial government on notice for Sept 12 to present its position on the Justice Najfi Report. “This gives us a hope for justice,” he said.

The PAT chief said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had got a chance to restore its credibility in references against the Sharifs and it must.

He said under the NAB ordinance, the accountability courts were bound to give verdict within a month.

The Supreme Court had allowed them six months, which was sufficient time to proceed, he added.

“Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is the main cause of corruption in Pakistan. If he is not taken to task quickly, he can create instability in the country by colluding with foreign forces,” Qadri alleged. Nawaz was not thrown out only because of UAE work permit (Iqama), but all references were those of corruption and it would soon be evident, Qadri maintained.

He said the real investigation into the Model Town killings would only start after the ouster of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, which, he hoped, would happen soon.

“Panama Leaks have claimed political life of the elder brother, while the ‘Metro Leaks’ would end politics of the younger one (Shahbaz Sharif),” said.

He alleged that as soon as Shahbaz became the chief minister, they (Sharifs) started working on a global business plan “and now their business empire spreads across the globe”.

“Had Volume X (of the JIT report) been made public, the entire corrupt empire could have been exposed. But the Supreme Court has put all cases on the legal track and the Sharifs are now on the run,” Qadri claimed.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2017