ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (DND)- All political parties sitting in treasury benches in the parliament of Pakistan at lasted accepted demands of Dr. Tahirul Qadri on Thursday night and signed Islamabad Long March Declaration (ILMD) and a peaceful 65 hours sit-in in the front of Parliament Building in Islamabad dispersed peacefully. According to estimations, around one million people participated in this Long March last night although heavy rain in Islamabad was unbearable when mercury fell down to -1c last night. This March testified that Pakistani as nation are a peaceful and well-disciplined nation provided there is a leadership to give them right directions.
It may be mentioned that thousands of people kept sitting outside Parliament building in Islamabad for five days and four nights including women, girls, children, men and boys on the call of moderate Islamist religio-political party of Dr. Tahirul Qadri of Tehreek-e-Minhaj ul Quran who demanded disbanding of parliament before forthcoming general elections, formation of interim government of all stakeholders of society instead of only parties present in Parliament and enforcement of Article 62 and 62 and 63 Constitution of Pakistan that indicates that corrupt people can not content general elections and can not become part of Parliament.
Negotiations between sitting government and Dr. Tahirul Qadri started last night and dead lock ended when government decided to accept his demands minus the his demand of abolishing Election Commission of Pakistan to formulate a new Election Commission.
Political drama reached its peak on Thursday afternoon when Dr. Qadri during his speech from his purpose built bunker like Caravan gave one and half hour ultimatum to government to accept his demands or face the consequences. He said in his speech that participants of march will take law in their hands and would not sit peacefully once the time of ultimatum is expired. After this situation Prime Minister of Pakistan Raja Pervaiz Ashraf sent a high powered 10-membered delegation head by former prime minister Ch. Shujaat Hussian and Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed to finalise the accord.
After 6 hours consultations, Islamabad Long March Declaration was signed by the Prime Minister and all demands except abolishing of Election Commission were accepted and Dr. Tahirul Qadri read the Declaration and took the consent from participants and announced the end of Long March and sit-it.
Dr. Qadri calls Pakistani Parliament as bogus, corrupt, incompetent and useless maintaining that country was ruled by radical forces and terrorists and leaders were enjoying their lives instead of addressing these issues and providing peace and honest governance to the country. Therefore it has been decided that Parliament will be disbanded before March 15, 2013 and interim government will be constituted with the consultation of all stakeholders sitting in and outside the parliament including Dr. Qadri and his party—Minhajul Quran. This sit in was supported by Shia community of the country that is facing cleansing and genocide by radical Wahabi and Salafi religious groups including Taliban. Therefore strict action against terrorists will be taken by government to ensure the safety of all communities including minorities.
When Dispatch News Desk (DND) contacted Senator Mushahid Hussian Syed who is signatory of this Declaration from government side, he was of the view that people of Pakistan had written a new history and shown to whole world that they are peaceful nation and they do not believe in violence and not a single flower was plucked by a mob of around a million of people. He stated a special meeting will be held in Lahore at the residence of Dr. Qadri on January 27, 2013 to start execution of decision of Islamabad Declaration.
When DND asked Zurqranain Haidar, a senior journalist and reporter of ARY News International who covered this sit-in and Long March, he was of the opinion that government had no option just to accept demands of Dr. Qadri because not a single participant left the place even after heavy rain sitting under open sky and all participants were of the view that they had gathered here till the last day of their life or till the acceptance of their just demands.
It may be mentioned that it was first ever Long march of a single party in the history of Pakistan because all previous Long Marches were held by alliances of political parties.
Political analysts are of the view that this is not a success of Dr. Qadri only rather a success of moderate religious faction against extremism and radical forces because Dr. Qadri believe in dialogue, non-violence and he has a stiff position against Taliban and radical forces while all other political parties sitting in opposition have soft corner for Taliban as being part of dictatorial rule of Gen Ziaul Haq who harboured Jihadis and Islamists to fight Afghan Jihad. It may be mentioned that opposition parties including former Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islaman, Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan, Jamiat Alahadith had been part Majlis-i-Shura (Islamic non-elected Parliament) of Ziauh Haq and his non-party based election of year 1985.
In his concluding speech, Dr. Qadri appreciated the sitting government to understand the grave situation and amicably resolved the issue. He also appreciated President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari who passed directions that government would not use any force to disperse the participants if they remained peaceful.
