LAHORE -  Pakistan Awami Tehreek Chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri has demanded the arrest of Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah in “light of the findings of Justice Ali Baqar Najafi Report.”

In case the main perpetrators will not be arrested, he warned, the will launch a protest movement to overthrow the Punjab government.

The PAT chairman made this demand and issued warning during a press conference at party headquarters in Model Town on Wednesday, a day after the Lahore High Court ordered Punjab government to make the one-member commission’s inquiry report public over Model Town tragedy. The report was held by the authorities for over three years.

Dr Qadri is due to leave for Saudi Arabia to perform Umra next week, but he said his visit to the holy places might be delayed due to his plan to start an agitation movement to get justice for families of martyrs of Model Town tragedy.

“Umra is an optional worship and can be delayed while avenging the murder of 14 PAT workers is my obligation and the time has reached now to accomplish this duty.”

He directed his followers to remain alert and wait for a call to launch protest against Punjab government. He said opposition parties were with him and accompany him in the protest.

“My container is ready and thousands of PAT workers are also waiting for my call,” he said, asking Punjab CM and law minister to surrender themselves before the law without any delay.

He read some parts from the authenticated copy of the inquiry report which the PAT received Wednesday from Punjab Civil Secretariat. According to him, the report clearly pinpointed Rana Sana as main culprit of the incident happened on June 2014.

He claimed that the report had had enough contents to hold chief minister and law minister responsible for initiating violent clashes and murdering innocent people.

“The Punjab CM was fully aware of the tragedy while Rana Sana was its main initiator. Hence both the culprits should be arrested immediately.”

Dr Qadri hailed the report as an unbiased account of a judge over the incident. He felicitated Justice Ali Baqar Najafi for compiling an alleged unbiased report.

PAT chief further said that the locals of Model Town had pleaded the high court to erect barriers in the areas for security and those who ordered for the deadly operation knew about the ruling. He said the dates mentioned in the commission report gave birth to suspicions. He disputed CM Shehbaz’s claim of having learnt about the incident through television channels by asserting that the report reads that Tauqeer Shah (the then principal secretary of Punjab CM) was instructed by the CM to participate in the talks. He alleged the government of moving Tauqeer Shah to Switzerland for the said reason.

PAT chief said the party would get hands on the ‘real report’ after court’s order were issued and then compare both the reports (the real and authenticated copy) to check if any tempering was made or not in the authenticated copy. Dr Qadri said that legal team and core committee of the party will hold a meeting on Thursday (today) to review the verdict in detail and to discuss the next move of the party.

He announced to make the report translate into Urdu and distribute its copies throughout the country to aware common man about the “brutalities of Sharifs.”

He said Sharifs were killers of the humanity and now they could not save themselves from the hands of the justice.

IFTIKHAR ALAM