That the January 17 power show spearheaded by the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) wasn’t particularly powerful, at least in terms of numbers, is a sentiment echoed by one and all—including the participants.
While the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was quick to label the rally a failure, voices among the opposition parties have echoed the sentiments as well.
With empty chairs seen during the rally throughout the day, the lack of numbers isn’t being disputed at all. However, PAT, the hosts, believe the coalition that was formed to pressure Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah into resigning, was actually successful.
“Just because people didn’t show up, does it mean that the Model Town tragedy didn’t take place? Or the martyrs shouldn’t get justice?” said PAT chief Tahir-ul-Qadri, adding that the main purpose of the rally was achieved.
“Even the rulers are aware of the numbers that all constituent opposition parties can individually muster. But the actual aim of the rally was to unite the opposition leaders, on Shehbaz Sharif’s resignation and justice for the Model Town martyrs, which we did,” Qadri adds.
But the fact that people didn’t turn up despite all leading opposition parties being present remains a question mark on any claimed success of the rally, especially since no further plan of action was announced, let alone any progress in getting the desired resignation letters.
“Lahore has rejected the politics of dharnas, anarchy and chaos,” says Punjab government spokesperson Malik Ahmed Khan. “The attendance was short because the opposition had no cause. They just wanted to disrupt the government and progress. There’s construction on one side and destruction on the other. The people of Pakistan can see who is doing what,” he added. “They had an APC, working committee, they had a joint action committee. All the parties did their best to mobilise their people, and with all major opposition parties on the same stage and the crowd not showing up – it’s a massive failure.”
Members of the opposition coalition have confessed that the fact that it was an alliance actually worked against the parties. “Our followers would never have accepted [PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali] Zardari and Imran Khan sharing the stage,” says Fawad Chaudhry underscoring why the two leaders appeared on stage at different times.
While the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders haven’t said so on record, many of them confirmed that Zardari was willing to join hands with Khan on stage. “He knew that not doing so would render the whole effort futile,” says a PPP leader. “And as the numbers that turned up prove, he was right. It is Imran Khan’s ego that was the reason behind the rally flopping.”
PTI leaders have also revealed that Imran Khan wasn’t pleased with how Tahir-ul-Qadri and PAT handled the rally. “Khan saheb was upset when Qadri saheb first announced that he and Zardari would share the stage, without confirming,” reveals a PTI leader. “Then he wasn’t happy about how each individual party was allocated the share of seats, and the overall management of the rally.”
PAT Spokesperson Noor Ullah Siddiqui, who was close to the team managing the rally, conceded that the Zardari-Imran clash affected the attendance. “Yes, the numbers would’ve been a lot higher had [Zardari and Imran] shared the stage,” he said. “The seats allocated for the PPP were emptied once Zardari saheb left and the seats allocated for the PTI only began filling up after Khan saheb was to address. We had set quotas and portions for parties, so that there are no conflicts.”
While Siddiqui conceded that no serious hindrance was caused by the Punjab police or government, he did complain about certain actions taken. “They slowed down the traffic, and our workers were needlessly stopped everywhere, only offloading them at a significant distance from the rally,” he said.
After having to acquiesce to the Tehrik Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLY) rally in Islamabad in November, the ruling PML-N is understandably feeling strengthened by events in Lahore. “We never felt weak. We have never felt that the masses don’t support us,” said senior party leader and former information minister Pervaiz Rasheed. “PML-N’s support base has never lessened – only increased. Take the recent Chakwal by-election for example, our candidate got 62,000 votes in 2013, now he got 75,000 votes.”
Rasheed believes that the rally vindicates the party’s stance that masses only back their narrative. “For this region, it is only the PML-N’s leadership – by which I mean Nawaz Sharif – that can deliver prosperity through cooperation. The flop rally in Lahore shows that the opposition has been collectively rejected,” he said.
While the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was quick to label the rally a failure, voices among the opposition parties have echoed the sentiments as well.
With empty chairs seen during the rally throughout the day, the lack of numbers isn’t being disputed at all. However, PAT, the hosts, believe the coalition that was formed to pressure Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah into resigning, was actually successful.
PAT Spokesperson Noor Ullah Siddiqui, who was close to the team managing the rally, conceded that the Zardari-Imran clash affected the attendance
“Just because people didn’t show up, does it mean that the Model Town tragedy didn’t take place? Or the martyrs shouldn’t get justice?” said PAT chief Tahir-ul-Qadri, adding that the main purpose of the rally was achieved.
“Even the rulers are aware of the numbers that all constituent opposition parties can individually muster. But the actual aim of the rally was to unite the opposition leaders, on Shehbaz Sharif’s resignation and justice for the Model Town martyrs, which we did,” Qadri adds.
But the fact that people didn’t turn up despite all leading opposition parties being present remains a question mark on any claimed success of the rally, especially since no further plan of action was announced, let alone any progress in getting the desired resignation letters.
“Lahore has rejected the politics of dharnas, anarchy and chaos,” says Punjab government spokesperson Malik Ahmed Khan. “The attendance was short because the opposition had no cause. They just wanted to disrupt the government and progress. There’s construction on one side and destruction on the other. The people of Pakistan can see who is doing what,” he added. “They had an APC, working committee, they had a joint action committee. All the parties did their best to mobilise their people, and with all major opposition parties on the same stage and the crowd not showing up – it’s a massive failure.”
Members of the opposition coalition have confessed that the fact that it was an alliance actually worked against the parties. “Our followers would never have accepted [PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali] Zardari and Imran Khan sharing the stage,” says Fawad Chaudhry underscoring why the two leaders appeared on stage at different times.
While the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders haven’t said so on record, many of them confirmed that Zardari was willing to join hands with Khan on stage. “He knew that not doing so would render the whole effort futile,” says a PPP leader. “And as the numbers that turned up prove, he was right. It is Imran Khan’s ego that was the reason behind the rally flopping.”
PTI leaders have also revealed that Imran Khan wasn’t pleased with how Tahir-ul-Qadri and PAT handled the rally. “Khan saheb was upset when Qadri saheb first announced that he and Zardari would share the stage, without confirming,” reveals a PTI leader. “Then he wasn’t happy about how each individual party was allocated the share of seats, and the overall management of the rally.”
PAT Spokesperson Noor Ullah Siddiqui, who was close to the team managing the rally, conceded that the Zardari-Imran clash affected the attendance. “Yes, the numbers would’ve been a lot higher had [Zardari and Imran] shared the stage,” he said. “The seats allocated for the PPP were emptied once Zardari saheb left and the seats allocated for the PTI only began filling up after Khan saheb was to address. We had set quotas and portions for parties, so that there are no conflicts.”
While Siddiqui conceded that no serious hindrance was caused by the Punjab police or government, he did complain about certain actions taken. “They slowed down the traffic, and our workers were needlessly stopped everywhere, only offloading them at a significant distance from the rally,” he said.
After having to acquiesce to the Tehrik Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLY) rally in Islamabad in November, the ruling PML-N is understandably feeling strengthened by events in Lahore. “We never felt weak. We have never felt that the masses don’t support us,” said senior party leader and former information minister Pervaiz Rasheed. “PML-N’s support base has never lessened – only increased. Take the recent Chakwal by-election for example, our candidate got 62,000 votes in 2013, now he got 75,000 votes.”
Rasheed believes that the rally vindicates the party’s stance that masses only back their narrative. “For this region, it is only the PML-N’s leadership – by which I mean Nawaz Sharif – that can deliver prosperity through cooperation. The flop rally in Lahore shows that the opposition has been collectively rejected,” he said.