Lahore - Pakistan Awami Tehreek’s (PAT) demand for seeking military court trial of Model Town incident and inviting the army chief to interfere is unconstitutional.

These views were expressed by provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah while talking in a Waqt News programme Insight anchored by The Nation Editor Salim Bokhari on Saturday.

Complying with the high court’s orders, Rana Sanaullah said, government could stop Dr Tahirul Qadri from holding a public gathering on The Mall but treading on the democratic path and following its principles, “We allowed Qadri to stage sit-in.”

Sana said by doing all this Dr Qadri was fulfilling foreign agenda. He was of the view that PAT wanted to get justice as per its own wishes by pressurising courts. He out rightly rejected the PAT claim that Model Town incident FIR was registered on behest of the army chief.

The law minister said all the parties supporting non-democratic elements should sweep before their own door. He said it was in the interest of the country that army must be kept apart from these matters. He said army was busy in the most difficult operation of the country. Sana said political parties must understand that only democracy could keep the system on track and running.

“In no country army chief pursues such cases or he is invited to control the affairs,” he maintained.

Sana said government officials had long meetings with the victims of Model Town tragedy and every possible help was being extended to provide them justice. Dr Qadri never pursued any victim’s case.

The law minister claimed that Dr Qadri got Canadian citizenship after paying Rs5 billion. He also claimed that Dr Qadri’s trust which had billions of rupees worth was being run by his two sons and wife. They were handling all the financial matters of the trust. Dr Qadri owned nine offshore companies, he added.

“Shehbaz Sharif is working as an activist of the party and no one, including Shehbaz, would ever accept Nawaz-minus formula. Imran and Qadri want to bring change through Dharna politics but they must know that all nations of the world made progress in democracy,” he said.

He lamented that Imran Khan was playing in hands of the elements who always tried to enter in the power corridors through backdoors. Sana said he respected Ghaus Ali Shah and Zulfiqar Khosa, but every effort to address their reservations met no positive response.

He also claimed that Chotu gang became stronger during People’s Party regime and PML-N government eliminated them. He rejected the claim that provincial government was unsuccessful in confronting Chotu gang after which the army took command of the operation.

He said provincial government had asked army and Rangers to launch an operation against Chotu gang. Sana said law and order situation was better in Punjab than other provinces in the country.