LAHORE - With August 14 nearing, last-ditch efforts have been made by some PAT and PTI leaders to launch a joint anti-government drive, by maintaining their banners of Revolution March and Azadi March separately, The Nation has learnt.
A key member of the PAT privy to the developments concerning the last-ditch efforts told this correspondent on Saturday that there was a strong possibility of reaching an understanding between PAT and PTI on Sunday (today) to launch joint anti-government efforts on August 14.
He made these revelations on the insistence of this scribe to reveal the enigma of PAT’s camouflage over the issue of announcement of Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri’s much-propagated Revolution March.
He revealed fresh contacts between the PAT and PTI leaders had been made Saturday to reach some common ground on the agenda items of the marches of the two parties.
As a result of the fresh contacts, there is a strong possibility that PTI Chairman Imran Khan and his second-in-command, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, could meet PAT Chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri late Saturday night or Sunday morning to finalise common demands from one platform on August 14.
He said the announcement to launch joint efforts against the government by PAT and PTI would be made by PML-Q leaders, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, at a press conference at Minhaj and PAT headquarters on Sunday (today).
The PAT key leader also revealed that August 14 would be announced as the launch of Revolution March if the two parties reached a common point.
Dr Qadri could announce August 12 or August 13 for launching the march to Islamabad if PAT and PTI agreed on some points of their marches, he said. In case of no agreement or little understanding between PAT and PTI, Dr Qadri would announce to launch the Revolution March after August 14, he stated.
In addition to the PAT leadership’s fresh direct contacts with PTI, he acknowledged special efforts of Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed for a joint movement against the government.
In the light of the revelations of the close aide of the PAT chief, Sunday could prove a political storm for the ruling party which, according to some political observers, is losing ground.
Meanwhile, PML-Q Chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, AML head Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, PML-Q Punjab President Pervaiz Elahi, Raja Basharat and Kamil Ali Agha met PAT Chief Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri to discuss the Revolution March.
Shujaat and Pervaiz Elahi declined to comment on the decisions of the meeting at the PAT headquarters despite volley of questions by newsmen. They kept on saying that they would inform the masses of the real story on Sunday (today) and unveil a ‘big news’ after a final round of the meeting with the PAT leadership.