Pakistan
Govt to present resolution in NA for expulsion of French envoy: Sheikh Rashid
Islamabad: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Tuesday stated that the government would present a resolution in parliament to expel the French ambassador as talks between the government and the outlawed Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) remained successful.
According to details, a delegation reached an agreement after negotiated conversations with the members of banned outfit in Lahore.
The Ministers including Sheikh Rashid, Minister for Religious Affairs Dr Noorul Haq Qadri, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) Tahir Ashrafi, Governor Punjab Mohammad Sarwar and Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat lead the delegation.
Following the third round of talks, Interior Minister in his important video statement said that the government will withdraw all cases including those filed under the fourth schedule against the leaders and workers of proscribed outfit.
The Interior Minister further said that it has been agreed that the banned outfit will call off its sit-ins across the country including at Masjid ul Rahmatul Lil Alameen in Lahore.
Sheikh Rasheed said he would hold a press conference today or tomorrow to share details and the process of talks will be taken forward with TLP members.
The negotiations began after protracted protests from the banned TLP and its supporters across Pakistan which started last week.
The protests began over the publication of blasphemous caricatures in a French magazine.
Since then TLP had been agitating from November and had been in talks with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.
However, last week on Monday, violent protests were sparked by the arrest of TLP leader Saad Rizvi in Lahore on unspecified charges.
The deadly protests broke out in major cities including Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Karachi.
The protestors blocked several roads of major cities including Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi causing massive jams. Clashes between police and demonstrators were also reported from Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and several other cities where police officials fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse the protesters, who fought back in some places by pelting stones at police officers.
Following that, government announced to ban Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP)