District administration ordered to clear Faizabad sit-in protest in three days
Most of the protestors would disperse only with teargas shelling, the IHC stated.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – While issuing the contempt of court notice to Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal over his failure to implement the court order, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday directed the district administration to clear Faizabad sit-in protest within three days.
Justice Shaukat Siddiqui said the court cannot issue license to kill, however, most of the protestors would disperse only with teargas shelling only.
The whole Muslim Ummah coherence on the belief of Khatm-e-Nubuwwat, he added.
Earlier on Monday, the court had warned authorities to obey its order to shut down the protest, which has sparked widespread anger by virtually bringing the capital to a halt for almost nineteen days.
INTERIOR MINISTER’S STANCE
On Thursday, Interior minister Ahsan Iqbal maintained a strict response for Faizabad sit-in protesters by stating that the government would not entertain unjustified demands of the protesting bodies. He clearly remarked that the government would not surrender to the protesters who have camped in the capital for nearly a month as it would set a precedent.
Iqbal said that Sunni Tehreek and Tehreek Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah are using the controversy over Khatm-e-Nabuwwat for political gains. The minister said that all the Muslims of Pakistan are gaurdians of Khatm-e-Nabuwwat.
READ: Govt won’t accept illegal demands of Faizabad protesters: Ahsan Iqbal
While talking about demand of the protesters to have law minister Zahid Hamid resign, the interior minister said that law was not put forth by him but the parliamentary committee. The law minister presented the law as per the code and put forth an even improved form of it, he added.
Roughly 2,000 protesters from the Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah Pakistan group have blocked a main highway used by thousands of commuters since November 6, causing hours-long traffic snarls.
The protesters are demanding the resignation of federal law minister Zahid Hamid over a hastily-abandoned amendment to the oath election candidates must swear. Demonstrators say the amendment amounts to blasphemy -- a highly contentious issue in Pakistan. The government puts the issue down to a clerical error.
