LAHORE: The Punjab government has asked Pakistan Awami Tehreek head Dr Tahirul Qadri to seek justice from court in the Model Town incident instead of causing inconvenience to people through staging a sit-in.

The PAT supported by PPP, PTI, PML-Q and JI is holding a rally on The Mall today (Wednesday) against the Model Town killings. The PAT has indicated that the one-day rally may be converted into a sit-in for an indefinite period.

“There has been a serious threat to any gathering of people on The Mall. Last year we lost retired Capt Mubeen Shaheed and other police officials when the pharmacists continued their protest on The Mall ignoring security threat warning,” Punjab government spokesman Malik Muhammad Ahmad told a press conference here on Tuesday.

He said Dr Qadri had no justification for staging a sit-in on this issue as the matter was pending in the court. “Mr Qadri should seek justice from court,” he said, adding that for his political rights he should not usurp the rights of others as Lahore’s traffic would be choked if The Mall was blocked.

Mr Ahmad said that because of the PAT-led protest, the business activities would be affected and several educational institutions would also remain closed.

He said Dr Qadri should follow the direction of the Lahore High Court that banned demonstrations on The Mall.

He said the protest should be peaceful and the speakers should not incite the participants to violence.

Flanked by provincial ministers Rana Mashhood and Imran Nazir, the spokesman further said those joining the PAT in the protest should remember that such a sit-in could be staged in Sindh over the killing of a youth by police and also in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the Mashaal lynching case.

Rana Mashhood warned if the protesters tried to damage public property, the law would take its course. Imran Nazir said the opposition wanted “justice of its own choice” in the Model Town case.

Earlier, Tahirul Qadri had demanded resignations of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah for their alleged role in the killing of 14 PAT workers in June 2014. Now Mr Qadri has claimed that the protest drive will lead to ouster of the PML-N governments both in the Centre and Punjab.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2018