TLP calls off protest as talks with govt make headway

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Tuesday said that the recently proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has agreed to call off protests across the country. "Talks with the party will continue," he said. He announced that the government would present a resolution on the expulsion of the French ambassador in the National Assembly today.

In a video statement, he said the decision was taken after another round of talks with TLP.

The minister said that cases registered against TLP workers under the Fourth Schedule will also be withdrawn, adding that he will give a detailed briefing on the development via a press conference later today. The announcement comes after a government delegation, comprising the interior minister and

Religious Affairs Minister Pir Noorul Haq Qadri, met TLP workers for yet another round of talks in Lahore late on Monday.

The first round of talks between the Punjab government and workers of the banned party took place on Sunday after daylong clashes between TLP workers and law enforcers. On Monday, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had said that the second round had concluded, adding that a third would begin at 10pm. Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar and provincial Law Minister Raja Basharat represented the government in the second round, according to Chaudhry.

On Monday, the NA session was adjourned to meet again on April 22 (Thursday) at 2pm. However, shortly after the minister's statement, it was announced that the schedule had been changed and the session would take place on April 20 (today) at 3pm. Before the breakthrough, three rounds of talks between the government and TLP party chief Saad Rizvi at Kot Lakhpat jail remained inconclusive on Monday as the latter could not be convinced to record a video message for party workers to end their plans of a long march on Islamabad.

However, the two sides had agreed to meet again late in the night at Punjab Governor House to discuss and finalise which demands put forward by the TLP chief as a prerequisite for terminating the outfit's protest plan could be accepted by the government.

Punjab Quran Board (PQB) chairman Hamid Raza, Sunni Tehreek's Sarwat Ijaz Qadri, former lawmaker belonging to the Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan Abul Khair Mohammad Zubair and PML-N MPA Mian Jalil Ahmed Sharaqpuri represented the government side in the talks.

Anas Rizvi, the younger brother of Saad Rizvi, also accompanied them to jail where they broke their fast and offered taraveeh prayer with the TLP chief.

In a brief talk before leaving the jail, Hamid Raza had told the media that there had been progress in the parleys and had hoped that the fourth round, to be held at Governor House, would be conclusive. He had claimed that the TLP chief had appealed to his party activists to remain peaceful. The PPP on Tuesday announced that it would not participate in today's National Assembly session.

PPP Information Secretary Dr Nafisa Shah said the government had postponed the NA session for two days but then "suddenly" called the session. "Some [PPP] parliamentarians are not present in Islamabad. At this time, the decision has been taken that PPP will not take part in the session," she added. The PML-N is holding a meeting of its parliamentary party in the office of Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly

Shehbaz Sharif to discuss the prevailing situation in the country as well as the "distressing events" that happened recently, party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said in a statement.

PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari lashed out at Prime Minister Imran Khan for "want[ing] to hide behind" the National Assembly despite not taking it into confidence at any stage.

"Agreement (with the TLP) wasn't brought to NA, Govt took action on streets, then banned, people killed, over 500 policemen injured, closed internet, PM didn't make statement in NA, didnt take NA into confidence at any stage. Now PTI wants to hide behind NA. It's your mess PM, clean up or go home," he tweeted. The government is currently engaging with the workers of the TLP - who have been holding anti-France protests for more than a week after a clash with the police in Lahore on Sunday.