Political activity around Pakistan Awami Tehreek's (PAT) headquarters in Lahore has increased following the release of Justice Baqir Najafi's report with Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) leaders set to meet Dr Tahirul Qadri on Saturday.
PTI leaders in a high-level meeting in Islamabad on Friday discussed Justice Najafi's report on the 2014 Model Town tragedy following which the party decided to send a six-member delegation to meet Dr Qadri in Lahore. PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi and members Jahangir Tareen, Chaudhry Sarwar, Aleem Khan, Ejaz Chaudhry and Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed will be part of the delegation.
In a statement issued after the meeting, PTI echoed PAT's demand for resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah. "There is no justification for Shahbaz Sharif and Rana Sanaullah to remain in office," PTI said in a statement.
Meanwhile, PAT chief Dr Qadri contacted PSP Chairman Mustafa Kamal and invited him for a meeting in Lahore. Kamal accepted the invitation and a PSP delegation is expected to meet Dr Qadri tomorrow.
Qadri thanked Kamal for his vocal support on the Model Town incident. Kamal had also held Rana Sanaullah and Shahbaz Sharif responsible for the incident after the report was released.
On Thursday, the PPP joined PAT in its demand for resignation of Punjab chief minister, when its co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari announced to work with Dr Qadri following a lengthy meeting between the two leaders in Lahore.
Justice Najafi's report on the Model Town incident — which was made available to the public on the Lahore High Court's orders — pointed fingers at Rana Sanaullah and the Punjab Police. "The operation planned and designed under the chairmanship of the then law minister resulted in gruesome killings could have easily been avoided," read the report.