TLP ends sit-in after negotiations with govt
Agreement says govt will take a decision regarding expulsion of French ambassador within three months, will not appoint its ambassador to France and release all the arrested workers of the TLP
The Tehreek-i-labbaik Pakistan (TLP), which had captured the Faizabad interchange of Rawalpindi suspending normal life in the twin cities, announced late night that the government has accepted all its four demands.
A spokesman for the TLP released a copy of the hand-writen agreement carrying signatures of Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noorul Qadri, Interior Minister Ijaz Shah and the deputy commissioner, Islamabad.
The agreement says 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 ater it calls off the sit-in.
There was no official confirmation from the government of the agreement, but the interior ministry issued a notification regarding immediate release of all those arrested during the past two days from different parts of Punjab.
The authorities had earlier put off an expected operation against the TLP protesters ater Prime Minister Imran Khan took notice of the mater and ordered talks to resolve it peacefully.
Qadri had been tasked with holding negotiations with the TLP leadership.
Later, Qadri said he was in Lahore when the prime minister called him and both discussed the agenda.
He expressed the hope that an agreement with the TLP would be signed ater which the protesters would disperse soon.
Asked under what terms the protesters would leave Faizabad, the minister said the TLP would announce the points of the agreement from its stage.
The TLP has been demanding expulsion of the French ambassador and a boycot of French products.
Officials of the capital administration and police said that earlier the government had categorically asked them to remove the protesters and get Faizabad and its adjacent areas cleared.
As a result, the officials said, the police and the paramilitary troops started making formations to start an operation in the aternoon but it was called off at the eleventh hour ater a message was conveyed to senior officers of police and administration not to proceed with the plan.
The TLP leaders were approached who then sent a delegation for talks, the officials added.
On Sunday night, a large number of TLP leaders and activists reached Faizabad where law enforcers used teargas to disperse them, but the protesters managed to remove the barricades and pushed back the police and paramilitary troops.
The officials said a well-equipped contingent of capital police, including Counter Terrorism Force, Anti-terrorism Squad and Anti-riot Unit along with paramilitary troops participated in the operation that started at around 4:15am and continued till 8am on Monday.
Physical confrontation between the protesters and security officials also took place.
The operation was suspended at 9am, the officials said, adding that the protesters spread to all sides of Faizabad Interchange following which Murree Road was sealed from Rawal Dam
Chowk, Islamabad Expressway from Zero Point to Khanna and IJ Principal Road from Ninth Avenue.
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.
As virus infections continue to rise, Prime Minister Imran Khan has imposed restrictions on public gatherings, once again calling on citizens to observe standard operating procedures (SOPS).
He also suspended Pakistan Tehreek-i-insaf (PTI)’S planned public gatherings and asked other political parties to follow suit.
In his address to the nation ater the National Co-ordination Commitee (NCC) meeting which he chaired, Khan called on people to wear masks and maintain social distance.
However, the much-awaited decision on closing of educational institutions was delayed till next week.
He said winter vacations could be extended in schools and colleges in case the situation worsened.