ISLAMABAD: After days of protests, the government agreed to table a resolution in the National Assembly seeking to expel the French ambassador to Pakistan and take back cases against members of the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
The announcement was made by Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Tuesday in a video statement shared on Twitter.
The statement was released after a government delegation, comprising the interior minister, Minister for Religious Affairs Dr Noorul Haq Qadri, SAPM Tahir Ashrafi, Governor Punjab Mohammad Sarwar and Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat, held talks with members of the proscribed group in Lahore.
The interior minister said the protests across the country, including the one outside the headquarters of the religiopolitical group, will end.
Rashid said he would hold a press conference later today to share more information on the issue.
He said that all cases, including those filed under the fourth schedule, against the members of banned TLP will also be withdrawn.
Three rounds of talks
On Monday, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that the second round of talks between the Punjab government and the outlawed TLP had concluded, hours after the first round was successful.
Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, earlier in the day, had announced that 11 policemen, who were taken hostage in Lahore by the banned party had 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 inside the Masjid Rehmatulil Alameen.
Governor Punjab Chaudhry Sarwar and Law Minister Raja Basharat represented the government in the second round of talks, the information minister had said.
"The third round will be held at 10pm, with Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed and Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri in attendance," he had added.
Attack on police station
All 16 police officials taken hostage on Sunday were released at 2:10 a.m. Monday morning, Rana Arif, the spokesperson for Lahore CCPO had told Geo.tv.
The four demands of the TLP included the release of their leader Saad Rivi, for TLP to be unbanned, all FIRs against their workers be dropped and a resolution be presented in the parliament to expel the French ambassador, the official added.
On Sunday, 36 policemen were injured in clashes with the rioters. Of which one is critical, Arif said.
The 16 hostages were kept in the basement of a mosque and tortured.
'TLP, govt on same page'
Before the third round of talks, Prime Minister Imran Khan in an address to the nation had reminded that Pakistan was built on the principles of Islam.
He stressed that the government is on the same page with the TLP regarding the protection of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)'s honour, however, expelling the ambassador of France is not the solution to Islamophobia.
"The West has made this an issue of freedom of speech and if we send back the French ambassador, some other European country will follow suit," PM Imran Khan had said.
"If Pakistan starts sending back ambassadors of different countries, the economy will suffer, but it would not make a difference to France or any other country."
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