Outlawed TLP announces to end countrywide protest

Outlawed TLP announces to end countrywide protest

LAHORE (Dunya News) - The banned Tehreek-e Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has announced to end its countrywide protest, including the Lahore sit-in.

According to sources, an important statement issued by the central leader of the proscribed TLP, said that the government has fulfilled its promise by presenting a resolution in the National Assembly while positive progress has been made on other issues as well.

Shafiq Amini, a central leader of the banned TLP, announced at the party’s Lahore protest at Yateem Khana Chowk that their goal had been achieved. He told protestors to end the sit-in and return to their homes after which the party workers started vacating the area.

Shafiq Amini told the workers that once they return home, only then would party leader Saad Rizvi be released. “We have to fulfill our promise by ending the sit-in. As soon as it ends, our arrested workers will return”, he said.

A statement issued by Shafiq Amini said that Multan Road has been reopened for traffic after 9 days, however, some workers are on security duty outside Masjid Rehmatul-il-Alameen.

Resolution on expulsion of French ambassador presented in NA

Earlier today (Tuesday), a resolution on expulsion of French Ambassador to Pakistan over blasphemous caricatures issue was presented during National Assembly (NA) session.

The National Assembly started its session at the Parliament House in Islamabad on Tuesday with Speaker Asad Qaiser in the chair.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Amjad Ali Khan presented the resolution in the lower house of the parliament. Members of PML-N and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) attended the session and represented their respective parties. However, PPP members did not attend the assembly session.

The resolution said that the French Magazine published blasphemous caricatures of the Prophet of the Islam for the first time in 2015 and despite strong reaction and condemnation from the Muslims around the globe, a deliberate attempt has once again been made to harm religious harmony and peace at the international level.

The resolution said encouragement of elements involved in hurting sentiments of millions of Muslims by the French President in the name of freedom of expression is regrettable.

The resolution demanded of the House to have a detailed discussion on the expulsion of French Ambassador from the country. All the European countries, especially France, should be apprised of the seriousness of the matter.

All Muslim countries should be taken on board to collectively raise the issue of sanctity of the Prophethood at international forums. It said deciding international matters is the sole prerogative of the state and no individual group or party can exert pressure in this regard.

The resolution asked the provincial governments to allocate special places in all districts for protest so that daily life of people is not affected. Members of the National Assembly started debate on the resolution that will continue in its next session to be held on Friday at 11 in the morning.

TLP may file review petition against party ban

Chairman Quran Board Punjab Sahibzada Hamid Raza has said that the proscribed Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) may file a petition for review on the party ban within a month.

While talking to Dunya News program "Nuqta-e-Nazar", he said that no attempt was made to create a deadlock between the two sides.

Sahibzada Hamid Raza said that property was damaged in certain areas during the protests but the leaders of the banned TLP denounced such elements and said they had nothing to do with them.

He said that there was a consensus among both parties to identify the culprits who burned down state and public property, adding that the perpetrators of these acts would be identified and exposed.

According to sources, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed will hold a detailed press conference on the issue of agreement between the government and religious parties on Wednesday at 2 pm.

Sources said that the cases under terrorism charges would not be withdrawn against the outlawed TLP and no decision has been taken to release Saad Rizvi, while the TLP will remain a banned party.