Zardari joins PAT chief in demanding CM's resignation

LAHORE: PPPP President Asif Ali Zardari and PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri addressing a joint Press conference after their meeting, here Thursday. - Internet photo

Monitoring Desk

ISLAMABAD: PPP-Parliamentarians President Ali Zardari on Thursday joined Dr Tahirul Qadri in his demand for resignation of the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for his alleged role in the Model Town tragedy.

"Enough is enough... Shahbaz has to resign and appear before the court," Zardari said. "After the [Justice Najafi] report, he stands condemned and a condemned person is not capable of being the chief minister of the largest province of Pakistan."

Zardari made the demand during a joint press conference following a detailed meeting with Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Qadri in Lahore.

Dr Qadri had earlier said that the Najafi report held the Punjab government and especially Law Minister Rana Sanaullah responsible for the 2014 incident, in which 14 PAT workers died and 100 were injured.

Former president Zardari said he had discussed the need for the PPP and PAT to work together on Jerusalem issue as well. He said he wanted the United States to understand the repercussions of its decision to shift its embassy to Jerusalem.

"We want to remain engaged with them [the US], but need to tell them that this decision will create difficulties for them, be it Afghanistan, Yemen or Pakistan," he said. "Their [US] action gives strength to the terrorist forces."

Agencies add: Earlier, in his telephonic conversation with the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Chief Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri on Thursday, the former president exchanged views over Model Town incident and Baqir Najafi report. In this conversation, he said that the PPP supports and stands with the Model Town affected.

Meanwhile talking to media in Islamabad, the Opposition Leader in National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah said that the PPP delegation will meet with PAT Chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri.

Khursheed Shah said that Tahirul Qadri invited Asif Ali Zardari, adding that a meeting between them is not new. The Opposition leader said that both the parties were already in contact. He added that PPP has always remained away from politics of anarchy.

Following the Lahore High Court's (LHC) orders to make the report of judicial inquiry into 2014 Model Town incident public, the Punjab government released the report, which held the provincial government responsible for the killing of 14 people on June 17, 2014 outside the residence of PAT Chief Dr Tahirul Qadri in Model Town, Lahore.

In the wake of the Model Town report compiled by Justice Ali Baqir Najafi becoming public, the Opposition Parties demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah.

However, Rana Sanaullah termed the Model Town report 'defective', and argued that the report held no government official responsible for the incident. - NNI