Qadri gives 24-hour ultimatum for implementing agenda

ISLAMABAD – Tehrik Minhajul Quran (TMQ) Chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri on Wednesday unveiled his four-point charter, asking the government either implement his demands or face the wrath of millions of people.In his four-hour address, Dr Qadri gave a 24-hour deadline to the government and demanded the dissolution of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), saying that Chief Election Commissioner Fakhruddin G Ibrahim ‘is too old to perform his responsibilities’.The TMQ chief once again invited PTI Chairman Imran Khan to join TMQ sit-in to bring positive change in the political system of the country.Warning the government of consequences, Qadri said: “If the government doesn’t take our demands seriously, it will be responsible for any situation.”Addressing the crowd Qadri said: “I don’t want to be the caretaker prime minister rather I would be the caretaker of the nation. This parliament is only protecting goons and plunderers and there is dire need to get rid of this ugly system.”He asserted that ‘tax evaders can no longer become parliamentarians and honest people will rule the country’. He said tax evader should be sent to jail without any delay and they have no right to sit in parliament. He said ‘there is no more room for corrupt practices in our electoral process and candidates for national and provincial assemblies should be screened before elections.  He opined that implementation on ‘People’s Act 1976’ must be ensured before the general elections. Excluding CEC Fakhruddin G Ibrahim, Qadri strongly criticised ECP members and alleged that four members were appointed on political basis. He said albeit Ibrahim is an honest person but he is physically not strong to run the ECP affairs. He appealed to the CEC to resign from his office.Inviting PTI to join his sit-in, he said the seven-point agenda presented by Imran Khan was similar to TMQ’s demands. “PTI chief needs to join sit-in to strengthen it. Imran Khan is not a corrupt person.”He opined that only 40 per cent voters cast votes while remaining not bother to cast their votes due to poor credibility of electoral system of the country.Qadri praised the judiciary and army, saying ‘army and judiciary gave you (rulers) five years but you failed to provide any relief to masses’.The TMQ chief castigated Law Minister Farooq H Naek for his statement in which he said that Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf was not named in the Supreme Court ruling.AFP adds: Qadri welcomed a Supreme Court order to arrest the prime minister over alleged corruption but gave no indication how long he would prolong the protest outside parliament, which has brought the city’s main commercial avenue to a standstill.“Keep sitting, don’t move. Be steadfast. Your destiny is closer. There will soon be a decision in your favour,” Qadri shouted in a third fiery speech since reaching Islamabad after a 38-hour ‘march’ from Lahore. “It is now or never.”So far, other political parties have backed the government over Qadri, favouring parliament to remain in place until the government’s mandate expires in mid-March.But Tuesday’s order to arrest Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf sparked rumours of a judicial-military conspiracy to force the government out.Commentators say there is no imminent sign that the prime minister will be arrested and that he can remain in office until and unless he is convicted.

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