Saad Rizvi asks protestors to immediately end sit-in

A handwritten message on plain paper dated April 17, stated that the sit-in outside the Rehmat-ul-Alamin Mosque should end immediately and the workers should return home peacefully.

In the message, Saad Rizvi said that the members of his party’s Ssura should surrender themselves to the law and the protest call of April 20 should be withdrawn.

He said that due to the stubbornness of the shura members, hundreds of workers and people have been suffering for six days.

Saad Rizvi further said that Zaheerul Hassan Shah should immediately follow my instructions.

It may be recalled that in Lahore, police and Rangers have conducted an operation at Yateem  Khana Chowk to disperse the occupiers.

During the operation, all roads leading to the Chowk Yateem Khana were closed, while there were reports of clashes between law enforcement agencies and protesters. There were also reports of casualties during the clashes.

Earlier, The list of restrictions on the recently proscribed Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP) continued on Saturday when Saad Rizvi's name was added to the Fourth Schedule list.

The development came late on Saturday night on the same day that NACTA also added TLP to its list of proscribed outfits. Adding Saad Hussain Rizvi's name to the Fourth Schedule will have serious consequences for the head of TLP, with all assets of the party being frozen.

Rizvi's passport will also be blocked and the son of late Khadim Hussain Rizvi will now have to seek permission from his local SHO to move from his permanent address while also clarifying where and why he is travelling.

All further movements will now be monitored by the CCPO office along with the Counter-Terrorist Department.

Notifications to the same from the Ministry of Interior Punjab came at the end of a tumultuous week for both the party and the country after Rizvi's sudden arrest on Monday led to nationwide protests. TLP followers blocked major highways and urban centres, attacking government and private property. Two policemen lost their lives while dozens of others were seriously injured after TLP supporters attacked law enforcing agencies.

Under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, Saad Hussain Rizvi is now a suspected terrorist. With his ID card now blocked, he will neither be able to operate a bank account nor buy and sell any property.