Mufti Muneeb announces strike across Pakistan, condemns Lahore violence

KARACHI/ ISLAMABAD: A nationwide shutter down strike has been announced for today (Monday) by former Ruet-e-Hilal Committee chairperson Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman after the violence and protests in Lahore led to clashes between the police and a banned religiopolitical party.

Other prominent religious leaders have supported Mufti Muneeb's strike call and condemned the police action in Lahore a day earlier.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Mufti Taqi Usmani are among those who condemned the Lahore violence, with Fazl announcing support for Mufti Muneeb's strike call.

In a Twitter statement, Mufti Usmani said the attacks on police by "certain" people were certainly wrong, but the government should act wisely.

On Sunday, the police and Rangers conducted an operation to disperse the protesters of the banned religiopolitical party from Yateem Khana Chowk in Lahore.

During the operation, all roads leading to the roundabout were closed, while there were reports of protracted clashes between law enforcers and protesters.

There were also reports of multiple casualties during the clashes.

In an apparent reference to TLP protesters, Punjab CM's aide Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan had said that "miscreants" armed with petrol bombs attacked the Nawankot police station, taking 12 policemen hostage and leaving six injured.

Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, in the early hours of Monday, announced that 11 policemen who had been taken hostage in Lahore by the proscribed TLP have been released after negotiations carried out by the Punjab government.

In a video statement, the interior minister said the “first round of talks” concluded in a "successful manner" after which the policemen were released and the protesters had gone dispersed and returned inside the Masjid Rehmatulil Alameen, the headquarters of the TLP.