ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed has announced that eleven policemen, who were held hostage by the proscribed Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in Lahore have been released after negotiations with the Punjab government.
In a video statement, the interior minister said the “first round of talks” concluded in a “successful manner” after which the policemen were released. “Negotiations have been started with TLP; the first round completed successfully,” he said. “They have released 11 policemen who were made hostages.”
He said the protesters had gone inside their central headquarter Masjid Rehmatulil Alameen. He added that the police had also been withdrawn. He hoped that other matters would also be resolved in the next round.
The minister added that out of 192 blockades, only one was remaining and the situation was improving there as well. He said talks have commenced with the banned TLP and hopefully issues will be resolved with them.
The officers had been held at a TLP mosque stronghold in Lahore, which is now packed with supporters and surrounded by police. He said a second round of negotiations would take place later Monday, although it is not clear what they will discuss.
نیوز اپڈیٹ
اسلام آباد: 19 اپریل
وفاقی وزیر داخلہ شیخ رشید احمد کا اہم ویڈیو پیغام جاری pic.twitter.com/kvXqVjWP9U— Sheikh Rashid Ahmed (@ShkhRasheed) April 18, 2021
Earlier, Special Assistant to CM Punjab on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan had said that “miscreants” armed with petrol bombs attacked the Nawankot Police Station, taking 12 policemen hostage and leaving six injured.
While sharing a statement by the Lahore police, she said the attackers used petrol bombs and bottles of acid, Rangers and police personnel were trapped inside the police station.
The miscreants held the deputy superintendent of police hostage at gunpoint, along with 11 other policemen, and drove them to their markaz (comprising a mosque and madrassah) nearby. She said the miscreants also stole an oil tanker carrying 50,000 litres of petrol.
According to the police statement, the police pushed back the miscreants and took back possession of the police station. Police said that any action taken was in self-defence and to rescue the police officers taken hostage.
