Peace & restraint our strength: Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri

PAT leader Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has said that worst ever repression was perpetrated on caravans coming from across Punjab to attend Martyrs Day at the behest of the Punjab government. According to confirmed reports, the caravans were stopped, people were disembarked, baton-charged and shot at directly, which resulted into martyrdom of 8 more workers taking the toll to 22. He said that about 1000 workers were lying injured and the Punjab government had refused to provide them medical treatment. He said that Shahbaz Sharif ordered the direct shooting on the PAT workers coming from Bahira, Gujranwala, Kamonki, Okara, Bakhar, Faisalabad, and South Punjab. He said that the workers were mercilessly attacked, beaten and shot at, adding that they were peaceful, and unarmed. He directed the workers that they should stage peaceful sit-ins in groups wherever they were and start reciting the Holy Quran to expose the brutality and savagery of the Punjab government.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri expressed these views while speaking to media persons in front of his residence. Allama Raja Nasir Abbas of Majlis Wahdat-ul-Muslameen, Sahibzada Hamid Raza of Sunni Ittehad Council and PAT leaders were also present on the occasion. He said that it was the worst ever repression in Pakistan’s history, which had crossed all limits. He said that respect of the women, and the elderly had been violated with abandon. He said that the government was pressurizing the owners of security agencies hired by PAT for security, adding that the raids were being conducted on the residences of the owners. He said that the rulers wanted to conduct a crackdown on the PAT secretariat and mass-kill hundreds of people so that fire could engulf the entire country. He said that these corrupt rulers wanted to bring down the state structure in the lust for power. He said that they had turned the whole Punjab into Gaza by blocking all cities. He said that direct bullets were fired at workers at Bahira and thousands of workers were injured. He said that the Punjab government had resorted to terrorism to scare people away so that they would not come out for revolution and their rights.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said that he did not see oppression and brutality at such a mass scale in his entire life. He said that the rulers tore the Articles 9, 15 and 16 of the Constitution into shreds and suspended the fundamental rights, further saying that they should be proceeded against on high treason charges. He asked the nation to come out for their rights as it was not time to sit idle at home. He further said that trenches had been dug on roads to stops the caravans of buses from proceeding further. He said that inflammable material had been placed inside the containers so that they could be put on fire to spread chaos in the country. He asked as to why the nation and national institutions were silent on this display of naked oppression. He said that the Sharif brothers gave hideouts to the terrorists, funded and protected them and now had resorted to naked terrorism. He said that trenches were always dug for the enemies, adding that the masses had been deprived of transportation facilities across Punjab.

Dr Qadri rejected all allegations that claimed to have retrieved weapons from PAT workers. He said that mobile phone service had been turned off in Model Town area and now the internet services were being cut off. He said that the rulers were intent on making Model Town an incarnation of Jallianwala. He said that peace, courage, restraint and valour were the strength of the workers and green revolution was their destination. He said that their struggle was for restoration of rights of 180 million people. He asked the nation to protest this brutality and appealed to the courts to take notice of suspension of fundamental rights and oppression on PAT workers. He said that our workers were peaceful and would continue to remain so in the face of worst provocation. He said that we would not take any undemocratic or illegal action come whatever. He said that protesting oppression and exposing it was command of Allah Almighty.

Dr Qadri said that Martyrs Day would be observed in Lahore in every case and there would be no cancellation of the programme. He said that next course of action would be announced on August 10.

Raja Nasir Abbas of Majlis-e-Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen, while speaking on the occasion, said that we, the sons of Pakistan, were united against repression. He said that we would bring down the pillars of oppression with the strength of peace. He said that we would continue to stay put unless this system of repression was demolished.

Sahibazada Hamid Raza of Sunni Ittehad Council said that 8 workers had been killed on August 09 and the FIR of the killings would be got registered against Punjab Chief Minister and Rana Mashhood. He said that 22 people had died and there was no suo moto of superior judiciary in sight. He said that Mustafavi revolution was our destination and no power of the world could stop us from achieving this destination.