LAHORE/ISLAMANBAD: The monster of panic is back to twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi with assembling back of Tahreek e Labaik Pakistan (TLP), a banned outfit, at Faizabad interchange, an entry point to the federal capital, after 11 months with the same agenda and the same demands.
TLP had staged a sit in at the same point in November 2020. The Pakistan Tehreek- e -Insaf (PTI) government had reached an agreement that called for extradition of French ambassador, besides banning trade with that country in protest over caricaturing that tantamount to anti- Islam.
TLP’s resurgence has created panic in the twin cities. The police blocked many main roads leading to Islamabad to check march of TLP on the federal capital. The internet services remained suspended in areas close to Faizabad. The traffic was re-routed to servis road to avoid congestion at Faizabad.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government constituted a committee comprising provincial Law minister Raja Basharat and Prosecution minister, Chaudhry Zaheeruddin, for talks with the banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) leadership ahead of the latter’s long march to the capital.
Announcing the long march on Islamabad a day earlier, TLP leader, Pir Ajmal Qadri, had said the peaceful procession would begin after Friday prayers, but if any hurdles were created, the party also has a Plan B to thwart any official attempts to block the march, he had told a charged crowd at a protest site in Lahore.
In what appeared to be a change of heart, the group had delinked the march from the release of its incarcerated leader, Saad Hussain Rizvi, and said the purpose of the move was respect for the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
However, shortly after 4pm on Friday, Punjab chief minister, Usman Buzdar, announced a committee comprising the two senior members of his cabinet had been formed to negotiate with the proscribed group.
The chief minister said according to the Sunnah of Holy Prophet (PBUH), we all need to work together for peace and harmony in the country.
On Thursday, Qadri had advised workers to continue the mission of the group’s founder, the late Khadim Hussain Rizvi, even if we were martyred in the march, and asked the government to implement the agreement — a reference to the accord reached with the TLP last November to sever diplomatic and economic ties with France.
The government better implement the agreement in true spirit or get ready to face the consequences, Qadri had warned.
