TLP Wraps Up Sit-In; Says Govt Accepted All Demands

The Allama Khadim Rizvi led Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has wrapped up its protest in the capital city after it said that the government had accepted all of its demands, a hand-written letter showed.

A TLP spokesman shared a copy of the handwritten agreement carrying signatures of Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noorul Qadri, Interior Minister Ijaz Shah and the deputy commissioner, Islamabad.

The document notes that the government will take a decision from the Parliament regarding expulsion of the French ambassador within three months, will not appoint its ambassador to France and release all the arrested workers of the TLP.

The government will not register any case against the TLP leaders or workers even after it calls off the sit-in.

The TLP had staged a protests against the government and French President Emmanuel Macron calling for end of ties between the two governments in response to his comments on Islam and Prophet Muhammad PBUH.

According to media reports, the government had asked the police and city officials to move in with formations and clear the Faizabad area within a few hours. The officials said that the police were standing in formations and were about to move in when the call came in at the last hour to cancel such move.

Subsequently, a team was later sent to negotiate with the protestors and find a solution that helped solve the issue through a dialogue.

The district administrations of the twin cities had also sealed entry points — 24 in the garrison city and 16 in Islamabad — with freight containers and heavy trucks.

Meanwhile, media reports further claimed that around 4,000 people were arrested throughout the sit-in. The citizens of the twin cities had to face enormous trouble as the mobile networks were shut down and the transport services were also affected by the sit-in.