Govt given 24 hrs as Gen Raheel Sharif made 'mediator'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on late Thursday night announced that Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif has been appointed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as a 'mediator' and 'guarantor' for the current crisis between the govt and protestors in the federal capital.

Speaking to their respective supporters, Tahirul Qadri and Imran Khan said they have given the prime minister 24 hours upon Gen Sharif’s assurances.

Both of the leaders urged their supporters to stay in the federal capital for one more day and wait until the deadline ends so that they can plan a future course of action, after these latest developments.

Earlier in the day the Wall Street Journal had reported that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was close to reaching an agreement with the Army Chief General Raheel Sharif regarding important policy matters and to end the ongoing protests against the government.

Speaking to marchers on the day dubbed by him as ‘Inquilab day’, PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri termed supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and his party as first cousins. He also said that he and PTI Chairman Imran Khan were brothers.

He said that they would not believe in reports that a First Information Report (FIR) in the Model Town tragedy case has been registered as desired by his party until he or his party’s counsel gets a copy of it.

Later, when local TV channels obtained a copy of the FIR, he rejected it, claiming Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s name was not included in it. He also said that sections of the Code of Criminal Procedure, pertaining to terrorism have also not been incorporated in the FIR.