ISLAMABAD - President of Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid), Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, met Maulana Fazlur Rehman at the latter’s residence on Wednesday and extended him an invitation to join the anti-government alliance.
The PML-Q delegation comprising Ch Shujaat Hussain, Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Ajmal Wazeer and others called on Rehman and discussed with him the overall political situation in the country in the backdrop of the Lahore incident wherein police officials had gunned down eight activists of Pakistan Awami Tehreek and wounded scores of others.
Shujaat sought the support of JUI-F chief to the 10-point agenda agreed between PML-Q and PAT for which Rehman said that he would come up with response after consultation with his party Shoora.
Addressing media persons after the meeting, Shujaat said that in order to garner support for the 10-point agenda, meetings would be held with the leaders of all political parties.
Speaking about the Lahore incident, he said that he did not expect good from the judicial or any other commission to probe, what he termed, the brutal act of killing innocent people. He simply demanded the resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
The PML-Q chief said that Punjab government had launched pre-planned operation against PAT workers in Lahore, which he dubbed as open state terrorism.
Fazl said Tuesday’s episode of violence in Lahore’s Model Town was condemnable and claimed that instead of punishing those responsible, the Punjab government was trying to cover up the incident. He said the country could not face chaos and unrest in a situation when armed forces of the country are engaged in operation in tribal area and country is in a state of war.
The JUI-F chief said that Punjab government has not taken strict action after Model Town tragedy but is trying to cover it. He said culprits of Lahore incident must be brought to justice and the government should diffuse the situation rather than pouring oil on it.
Rehman said compensation is just a gesture of goodwill on part of the government; otherwise it could not be an alternative for human blood.
To a query on ongoing operation in North Waziristan he said his party and Jirga were not taken into confidence by the government and it started operation without consultation.