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Published 18 Feb, 2013 03:04am

Qadri signals supporters to be ready for polls

FAISALABAD, Feb 17: Tehrik-i-Minhajul Quran International chief Dr Tahirul Qadri has urged his supporters to get ready for both elections and the revolution and to snatch their rights from the exploiters. He said if elections did not serve the masses, he would go for a peaceful revolution.

Mr Qadri said this while addressing a big public gathering at the Dhobi Ghat ground on Sunday. During his speech, his charged supporters waved flags of his party and raised cut-throat slogans in his favour.

He urged the masses to be ready to achieve their “destination” either through election or revolution.

He said a cartel of the corrupt, exploiters and opportunists had made the future of the public bleak through occupying parliament, law, court, executive and politics.

The current system, he said, had widened the gap between the haves and have-nots and had provided nothing to the poor masses. He said unemployment, poverty, suicide, self-immolation, power crisis, helplessness and disappointment were the stories of everyday.

“Now the system has to be demolished and the public should join hands with me for this purpose,” he added.

He warned his supporters that their enemy would try to defeat them through a propaganda campaign using money, power and influence.

“You must stand united and fight for a revolution,” he said repeatedly.

Dr Qadri quoted six examples of world revolutions, including the Islamic revolution in Arab, China, France and Russia, saying that in all such revolutions deprived and poor people had struggled for their rights.

He said his recent moves had unveiled many faces doing anti-public works.

He demanded 50 per cent of profit of an industrial unit for its labourers. He demanded the establishment of the Lahore High Court, Faisalabad bench, in Faisalabad.

“I want to make every Pakistan a constitutional expert and ask them to learn about their rights enshrined in the constitution under Article 38-B,” he said. Dr Qadri reiterated his stance over the reconstitution of the Election Commission of Pakistan, saying it was unconstitutional. He said the commission had directed parliamentarians to get their degrees verified and deposit tax returns with the commission.

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