Tahirul Qadri remains firm with long-march

LAHORE: Allama Tahirul Qadri on Saturday once again said he would lead the long- march on the federal capital to get his demands met as government delegation continued its frantic efforts to woo the cleric to cancel his plan, Geo News reported.

The delegation comprising PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, who is also deputy prime minister, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and senior lawyer Dr Khalid Ranjha called on Tahirul Qadri at his residence.

Talking to media after the meeting, Elahi said that they were about to settle the issues with Qadri. However, Dr Qadri said that he would talk to the government at the end of his proposed march in Islamabad only to discuss the formula and mechanism on how his demands could be met.

Speaking on the occasion, Tahirul Qadri said that the threat of any terror attack on his long-march could be decreased by 75 percent if only ‘two individuals’ were sent to the place where they deserved to be. He refused to name the two persons.

Earlier, property tycoon Malik Riaz returned from entrance of the Tahirul Qadri’s residence after the latter refused to hold talks with the former to postpone or cancel his long-march.

Malik Riaz along with Pakistan Muslim League-Q leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Pervez Elahi had arrived at Qadri’s residence to hold negotiations with the cleric.

TV footage showed Riaz trying to woo Mr Qadri to cancel his march due to security threats as many a people lost their lives in fresh bombings across the country during the last couple of days.

Qadri categorically refused to postpone his march and said his long-march could not be purchased. He reaffirmed his resolve three times that the march would be staged at any cost.

Chaudhry Pervez Elahi said that they had brought Malik Riaz with them as his ‘speedy wisdom’ worked during this sort of circumstances.

Malik Riaz told Qadri that though he was leaving, Chaudhry Shujaat and Pervez Elahi be allowed inside for talks.