Asif Ali ZardariRaja Pervaiz Ashraf Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri The Long March (Urdu: لانگ مارچ) was a public protest against alleged governmental corruption in Pakistan.
[2] A series of corruption scandals had plagued Pakistan in the years preceding 2013, including a case against President Asif Zardari and former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani, who was found to be in contempt of court.
[5] Shortly after returning from self-imposed exile in Canada (where he acquired Canadian citizenship), Qadri gave a speech on 23 December 2012, in which he denounced the rampant corruption at all levels of government.
Despite government blockades using cordons of freight containers and barbed wire, the convoy was allowed to enter Islamabad, where Qadri held a rally on Jinnah Avenue, about two miles from the parliament.
Live television coverage showed forces firing in the air – a serious escalation in attempts to control crowds – while supporters of Qadri hurled stones at them.
[9] Awami Muslim League Chairman Shaikh Rasheed Ahmad commended the participants and said that the Long March was not a flop and, as a result, Qadri would have a mandate in discussions.
[10] The Chairman of the All Pakistan Traders Association, Sheikh Muhammad Saddique, said that a majority of the governing and opposition leaders blamed Qadri for finding funding from foreign countries and had criticised his dual nationality, while accusing him of not having a specific agenda.
"[6] Regarding the march, the Daily Times wrote that it "took away [the] capital's charm" because, while such rallies are a democratic right, the protesters left behind a trail of garbage and made the local inhabitants' life abnormal.
[12] The Islamabad Long March Declaration was signed by Prime Minister Raja Parvez Ashraf following the appointment of a 10-member committee to negotiate with Qadri.
[2] Specifically, the National Assembly would be dissolved before 16 March with the election being held within 90 days following one month of scrutiny of the nominees, under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution of Pakistan.
Qadri then congratulated the demonstrators, notably the female party workers, the country, and the government for a successful end to the protests and said that it was a model for the world to see.
[12] In reaction to the declaration, Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PML-Q) leader and committee chairman Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said that he was thankful to Allah for helping to amicably resolve all the issues.
He also told lawmakers in Lahore that the goals of the protest were not met and that innocent children, women and old people were made to wait in the cold and rain as the "desires of anti-democratic forces were foiled and an attempt to derail democracy, in the name of so-called revolution near the general elections, was defeated.
He also accused Qadri of playing with the sentiments of thousands of people and asserted that the demand for reforming the electoral commission was unconstitutional and "highly non-serious."