Minister says negotiations are on to end Islamabad standoff
islamabad — Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Sunday the government was making efforts to end the Islamabad protest through negotiations as it was causing inconvenience to the people of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Addressing a Press conference along with Minister of State for Religious Affairs Pir Amin-ul-Hasnat here, he categorically said that a firm belief in Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the last messenger of Allah was the fundamental part of Islamic faith, which was also an integral part of the Constitution.
He said the matter had already been settled and it should not be politicised keeping in view its sensitivity as the error in the electoral reforms bill-2017 had been corrected.
The minister said creating doubts in this regard, any propaganda on social media or religious hatred were not in Pakistan’s interest and should be avoided keeping in view the prevailing situation.
He said a 30-member delegation of religious scholars was also consulted on Saturday to resolve the issue in a peaceful manner.
Ahsan Iqbal said: “Islam allows no one to cause inconvenience to the general public, and blocking the roads has no moral, religious or constitutional justification. We request them to end the protest as they have got registered their protest. The parliament has already made Khatm-e-Nabuwat law foolproof and there is no ambiguity about it.”
The minister said the government was also trying to avoid any clash to ensure the safety and security of the life and property of people in the country.
He said due to the sit-in, about 800,000 people had been affected and facing problems as it was difficult for the children to reach their schools or patients to reach hospital for treatment, which is also
Govt does not want to use force
> Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal made a last-ditch appeal to the protesters to end their sit-in. > He said the government wants to end the deadlock through dialogue rather than force. > The minister has rejected the protesters demand for the law minister’s resignation. against the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
He said business activities had also been affected in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Moreover, it was portraying a bad impression of Pakistan internationally.
The sit-in would only benefit the > Iqbal says Law Minister Hamid Zahid cannot be asked to resign without evidence against him. > Despite court orders, the govt is reluctant to use force and wants to reach a peaceful resolution to the deadlock. > The minister said the issue should not be politicized. enemies of Pakistan as a high level delegation from China was due in Islamabad on Monday for the 7th Pakistan-China Joint Cooperation Committee meeting, he said.
Regarding presence of armed people among the participants of the sit-in, the minister said some subversive elements wanted to take advantage of the situation.
Ahsan Iqbal said with the passage of time pressure on the government was increasing as the Islamabad High Court had already issued orders for the removal of the sit-in to facilitate the general public.
He said despite court’s clear order, the government had requested more time to resolve the issue through negotiations.
He said the city administration was fully capable to take action but the government wanted to resolve the issue peacefully.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Religious Affairs Pir Amin-ul-Hasnat called upon the protesters to end their sit-in in the larger interest of the country. —