Crucial Zardari, Qadri meeting to take place today

LAHORE: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari will hold a crucial meeting with Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri today ahead of the PAT’s multi-party conference.

Both leaders will discuss political matters, including the PAT’s “all-parties conference” slated to be held on December 30 (Saturday).

The meeting between Zardari and Qadri was earlier scheduled to take place on Thursday, but it was rescheduled for today owing to the PPP leader’s pressing engagements.

This would be Zardari’s second meeting with Qadri in less than two weeks.

The meeting is being seen as part of efforts by the PAT chief to bring two arch-rivals, Asif Ali Zardari and PTI chief Imran Khan on one platform to give the PML-N government tough time ahead of the next general elections.

Earlier this week, the PTI chief visited the Model Town residence of Qadri and pledged full and unconditional support to his proposed anti-government drive.

Both leaders, while addressing a press conference, on Tuesday evening renewed their demand of the resignations of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah for their alleged role in the Model Town massacre.

The Qadri-led PAT has convened the moot on December 30 to hammer out a future course of action to press for their demands in the wake of the release of the Model Town inquiry report.

Qadri had earlier warned the two PML-N leaders to resign by December 30 or else he would announce his future course of action, hinting at launching a protest drive to mount pressure on them to stand down.

Although, the release of an inquiry report on Model Town incident didn’t hold anyone responsible for the police action that led to over a dozen casualties, it afforded the PAT a fresh ground to renew its demand of the resignation of two key PML-N leaders.