The government has restarted negotiations with Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in Islamabad, as some 5,000 workers of the proscribed group crossed Gujranwala via Grand Trunk (GT) Road on Thursday.
Federal Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and Religious Affairs Minister Noor-ul-Haq Qadri took part in the talks. TLP chief Saad Hussain Rizvi has also been shifted to Islamabad from the Lahore jail, where he was being detained, to take part in the negotiations.
“Saad Rizvi is part of the talks,” an insider told Minute Mirror. They added that the negotiations renewed on a three-point agenda: release of Rizvi, withdrawal of all cases against TLP leaders and workers, and closure of the French embassy in Islamabad.
Rashid reiterated in a press conference on Tuesday that the government was ready to accept all demands, except the expulsion of the French ambassador. In the latest talks, Qadri appealed to the TLP to open the roads by removing hurdles to restore traffic flow as a good gesture.
TLP Spokesperson Sadaam Hussain Bukhari said the workers were heading towards Islamabad and would not stop their march without a signal from TLP leaders. The banned outfit has been protesting for almost two weeks.
In a press conference the same day, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Siraj-ul-Haq has also called for dialogue between both sides, saying that a peaceful protest was the right of every citizen, and the state should avoid using sticks and guns against the protestors.
According to media reports, the TLP rally crossed the Qila Chand bypass as GT Road was blocked for all kinds of traffic. The situation was causing severe difficulties for millions of commuters in the area. Train traffic from Lahore to northbound destinations was also affected badly due to agitation. From Kamoke Tehsil to Jhelum, cellular services have been suspended for 24 hours, reported a news channel.
Rangers, police, and other security forces have been deployed at the Chenab River bridge near the Wazirabad border. TV channels reported that security officials planned to stop the marchers.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday came down hard on the government for mishandling the situation that resulted from the TLP rally. In a tweet, he said federal ministers were issuing differing statements, with one having said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was unaware of the government-TLP agreement in November 2020. He added that the government was dealing with the issue chaotically and that such was the way PM Khan was governing Pakistan.
