ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Friday asserted that negotiations were underway between the government and banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) detained chief Saad Hussain Rizvi on ending the ongoing protests.
The minister was speaking to journalists attending a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) convened by Prime Minister Imran Khan to review the law and order situation in the country, with a specific focus on the protests by the banned TLP.
Rashid further said that the government wanted to “amicably” resolve the matter of the protest march, which has disrupted life in several Punjab cities. “It is the government’s responsibility to secure people’s lives and property” he added.
He also announced that Prime Minister Imran Khan would address the nation tomorrow (Saturday) about the current security situation, saying “he will present the entire situation before the nation and his speech will explain the government’s narrative.”
Giving details regarding the TLP protests, the Interior Minister told journalists that four policemen had been martyred in clashes with banned organisation, while more than 80 had been injured, eight of them critically.
“We stand by our position and we are waiting for the TLP to abide by their commitment to open the GT Road,” he said, adding that it was also expected that Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri would talk to the TLP leadership again.
Referring to one of the TLP’s demands, Rashid said the government had taken the matter of the French ambassador’s expulsion to the parliament, adding that the opposition would not vote in favour of such a move.
Rashid added that proscribed TLP’s social media accounts were being operated from outside the country and the Federal investigation Agency (FIA) was taking action against those which were being handled from here.
While responding to another question, the interior minister said that he signed the agreement with the banned organisation after approval from the prime minister.
Prime Minister Imran had convened the NSC meeting on Thursday to devise a strategy for tackling the TLP’s march that is heading towards Islamabad.
The meeting was attended by key members of the federal cabinet, the services chiefs and the intelligence agencies’ heads. Federal ministers Pervez Khattak, Sheikh Rasheed, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Fawad Chauhdry were also present.
It is pertinent to mention that Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had earlier ruled out the possibility of negotiations with the banned TLP until it cleared all the roads and handed over the culprits responsible for martyring several policemen in recent clashes.
The minister had also urged ‘patriots’ to distance themselves from the ongoing protests and return home instead of becoming part of a campaign which he described as tantamount to terrorism against the state.
