The banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has ended its protest march towards Islamabad after successful talks, said Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad on Sunday.
Talking to journalists, the interior minister said that all the roads, which had been closed to stop the protesters from marching towards Islamabad, have been reopened.
The TLP protesters will not move forward [to Islamabad] and will stay in Muridke till Tuesday, he added.
Sheikh Rashid expressed the hope that after reviewing their demands, the issue will be resolved by Tuesday.
Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noor-ul-Haq Qadri, meanwhile, said that the issue will be resolved through mutual understanding.
He maintained that the authorities concerned have been directed that there should be no clash between the police and the protesters.
The opposition and the proscribed outfit had staged separate protests in many cities of the country. Twin cities Islamabad and Rawalpindi and Lahore were partially shut down due to protests.
TRENCH: On Saturday, a trench was dug up on the GT Road near Gujranwala in response to an announcement by the TLP that they will set out on a long march towards Islamabad.
A deep and long pit was dug with the help of cranes while the roads were also blocked by placing containers.
Meanwhile, a procession by the banned outfit, the participants of which began marching from Lahore, had reached Sadoke.
The banned TLP had announced a “peaceful protest” on Friday after Juma prayers to demand the release of their leader Saad Rizvi.
Rizvi was taken into custody shortly after the federal government had declared the TLP a proscribed organisation under anti-terrorism laws and launched a broad crackdown against the party.
The action came after days of violent protests and traffic disruptions in the largest cities of Pakistan, which saw public and private property being damaged by gangs of hooligans bearing sticks and turning on law enforcement officials at will.
Speaking on the move, Prime Minister Imran Khan had explained that his government had taken action against the banned TLP because it “challenged the writ of the state and used street violence, attacking the public and law enforcers”.
Two policemen were martyred in Lahore Friday night after a couple of cars collided during a protest by the banned outfit. Clashes between police and members of the outlawed outfit also resulted in over 40 cops getting injured.
