Hundreds picked up for wrecking public property

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry says Friday’s agreement with Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) is a temporary measure and ‘we need to come up with a permanent solution’ to such situations.

In an interview with the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) on Saturday, Fawad said the government had to take steps against extremism and such kind of violent protesters and it was committed to resolving problems.

“Right now this is not a cure. This is just firefighting that we’re doing. The cure is the real thing and our government is committed to it.”

Chaudhry said the courts would decide whether or not to put Asia Bibi on the Exit Control List (ECL). In a related development, the Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) leaders Khadim Hussain Rizvi and Afzal Qadri were among hundreds of people who were Saturday booked on charges of rioting and disrupting peace in various parts of Lahore.

Police said 500 people, including Rizvi and Qadri, had been booked in 11 cases.

Two cases have also been filed against troublemakers in Islamabad on charges of destroying property.

In a statement, the interior ministry said action will be taken against elements involved in destroying properties and harming common citizens.

The ministry said it was in the process of identifying such elements and action will be taken against them.

The statement said religious parties had assured the government their supporters were not involved in destruction of property. Videos and CCTV footages are being analysed to identify individuals involved in vandalism and violence.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is also reviewing related content on the social media for the purpose.

The ministry said cases had been filed and arrests will also be made.

Meanwhile, Minister for Communications Murad Saeed Saturday said the government had decided to take action against the miscreants, who caused massive damage to the state property during the TLP protests countrywide.

“Time to establish that calls for protest shouldn’t be taken as a licence to destruction,” the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Central Media Department quoted the minister as saying.

“The videos and images of the protests post-apex court’s decision will be scrutinised to identify the perpetrators who damaged the public property,” the minister asserted.

“The Constitution permits peaceful protests, but under no circumstances can anyone be allowed to damage public and private property in the garb of protests,” he made it clear.

During two days of protests, the minister pointed out, the property of National Highways was damaged all over the country. “Billions will now have to be spent on their repair. We will identify these miscreants and bring them to justice,” he emphasised.

The minister maintained that it was commendable that the protest leadership had distanced itself from those who created havoc in the garb of protests.

The government reached an agreement with Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) Friday evening, paving way for return of normality to the Country following its countrywide protest against the acquittal of Christian woman, Aasia Bibi, who was had been sentenced to death for alleged blasphemy.

Meanwhile, a petition seeking damages for destruction of public property during protests led by the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) was filed with the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday.

The petitioner, Abdullah Malik, stated that the TLP protests had caused considerable damage to the government and public property.

He said protection of lives and wealth of citizens of Pakistan was the first responsibility of the government and it had violated their fundamental rights by not doing so.