The anti-government movement set to begin on January 17 has gained momentum after the gruesome rape and murder of an eight year old girl in Kasur with several political parties announcing their decision to join the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahirul Qadri protest. Almost all opposition parties notably Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) have announced their decision to join the movement.
PTI leader Shafqat Mehmood told Business Recorder that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman had already announced his decision to join the PAT anti-government protest as it has yet to apprehend those responsible for the Model Town massacre. He contended that if the government had apprehended the perpetrators of Model Town massacre, the brutal rape and murder of an eight year old girl in Kasur would not have happened. "PTI chairman gave the call to party workers yesterday [Thursday] and our workers will joint the protest movement against Punjab government as it has failed to protect life and property of the people," he added. He further clarified that it is a one or two day protest which may be converted into a sit-in if the government does not accept the demands of the opposition parties. He said that an action committee comprising members from all major political parties will decide the future course of action in the event that the government does not accept their demands. A PSP spokesman said that his party will participate in the protest to get justice for PAT workers killed in 2014 by Punjab police, adding despite repeated demands to bring them to book, the government is not ready to move an inch, which is appalling. He said that Punjab government had tried to hide facts for three long years which is the reason why the crime rate is increasing with each passing day in Punjab. "If the criminals are let free, shameful incidents like Model Town and the rape and murder of Zainab will never stop," he added.
Chaudhry Manzoor of PPP said that the sole purpose the party is going to join anti-government drive is because the Punjab government has miserably failed to protect life and property of the people. He said that little girls like Zainab are not safe, which has left the party with no option but to support efforts against 'Sharifs fiefdom' in Punjab. "If incidents like Model town and Kasur had happened in any civilized country, the Sharifs would have been behind the bars, but in a country like ours might is right, and in such a situation acting as silent spectator is tantamount to crime," he maintained. Sahibzada Tariqullah of JI said that his party had long supported the call for justice with respect to the Model Town massacre, but "all our demands fell on deaf ears"; with the Kasur incident it is evident that there is no government in Punjab, he added. "The tall claims of good governance were exposed after an innocent girl was raped and murdered in Kasur who will raise voice against these shameful criminal acts if not the opposition," he added.
Noted security analyst Lieutenant General Talat Masood (retd) said that both political and police leadership are hand in glove due to which Punjab police has a long way to go to becoming a professional and disciplined police force; a professional police, he added, is only possible if there is political will. "The Punjab police is 'trigger happy' which must be discouraged, and there is a need for massive police reforms and professional training like in KP where both Imran Khan and chief minister can be proud of making the police a professional force," he added.
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