ISLAMABAD - A slight difference of opinion witnessed among senior leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf over PTI’s stance and overall response to Tahirul Qadri’s planned march on Islamabad during a party meeting held on Sunday.
Party sources claimed that some of the participants of Political and Strategy Committee (PSC) of PTI, most prominent among them Ahsan Rashid, former president of PTI Punjab, were of the opinion that by holding an enormous gathering Tahirul Qadri would encroach and dent the popularity of PTI, especially in Punjab, besides other political parties.
Ahsan Rashid was of the view that PTI should itself organise such gatherings across Pakistan instead of supporting the cause of Tahirul Qadri’s rally that mainly aims to introduce drastic electoral reforms ahead of general elections, a party leader said.
However, the old political lot comprising senior leaders including Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Makhdoom Javed Hashmi had opposed any such idea. The PSC, which met here with the PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the chair, also expressed deep concern over the introduction of Tax Laws (Amendment) Bill 2012 in the Parliament.
The party also warned the government against passing the Tax Amnesty Scheme Bill by the Nation Assembly, making it clear that if the bill was passed, the PTI would challenge it in the Supreme Court of Pakistan as the scheme was another form of NRO to legalise the corruption of around 2.7 million corrupt and filthy rich tax evaders.
“It is resolved that the PTI will not allow the 2.7 million tax evaders to benefit from the tax amnesty scheme which was violative of the fundamental rights of Pakistani citizens,” said a statement issued here after PSC’s meeting.
The meeting, which was attended by PTI President Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Vice Chairman Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi among others, also resolved that the PTI had strong trust in the Constitution and it had resolved that general elections should be held on time according to the Constitutional provisions.
The PSC also condoled the sad demise of former JI Ameer Qazi Hussain Ahmed and offered fateha for solace of the departed soul. Meanwhile, Imran Khan on Sunday postponed his scheduled address to a news conference at party central office, as he has to see off his sons Qasim and Suleman, who were on a 10-day visit to Pakistan to see their father.
One of Imran’s close aides informed that Suleman and Qasim had arrived Pakistan on December 28 to meet their father. “Imran, like a kind father, spent plenty of time with his sons. They played cricket together and Imran coached his children on techniques of cricket,” he said.
Imran has regular access to his children, who usually visit Pakistan by the end of December. Khan has also developed a mini-cricket ground in his farmhouse in Bani Gala for his sons.
Imran’s passionate love with his sons is evident from the fact that he has dedicated his book “Pakistan, A Personal History” to his sons and youth of country as well.
Owing to disturbed international flight schedule at Benazir Bhutto International Airport on Sunday due to foggy weather conditions, the London-bound flight carrying Imran’s sons also delayed, disturbing Khan’s schedule for the day.
Imran was also suppose to attend the funeral prayers of former chief of Jammat-e-Islami (JI) Qazi Hussain Ahmed in Peshawar but owing to delayed flight of his sons he asked senior PTI leaders Makhdoom Javed Hashmi and Ijaz Chaudhry to attend the funeral.
Imran would visit the bereaved family of Qazi Hussain Ahmed today (Monday) at 11:00am. While, later early in the evening on Monday he would address a news conference at party’s central office where he would formally announce to launch Tabdili Razakar Mohim.