LAHORE: The activists of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party announced the ending of their sit-in on Monday, a day after the government lifted the ban on it following a deal with its leadership.
The decision to revoke the ban was made after assurances from the group that it would abide by the law. Hundreds of detained supporters of the party were also released from detention as part of the deal, its members had been removed from the Fourth Schedule —a list on which suspects of terrorism and sectarianism are placed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
The announcement to end the protest was made by a party leader, Syed Sarwar Shah, who called on the protestors to return to Masjid Rehmatallil Alameen in Lahore.
“Mufti Muneeb ur-Rahman had given us the guarantee and told us to go back to Masjid Rehmatallil Alameen when 50 percent of our demands are met,” Shah told the participants.
Initially, they had kept the GT Road blocked for three days before shifting to an adjacent park after the TLP struck a deal with the government.
“The government should now fulfil the rest of the agreement within the [promised] time,” the TLP spokesperson said.
Adding to that he revealed that “The protesters will now move to Rehmatul Lil Alameen Mosque after the fulfilment of half of the demands [the government had committed to] in the agreement,” as had been guaranteed by the TLP leadership and Mufti Muneebur Rehman — who facilitated the negotiations between the two sides, a TLP spokesperson said on Monday.
Rehman had also guaranteed that TLP chief Saad Rizvi will “attend the Urs [of Khadim Hussain Rizvi’s first death anniversary] with us,” he said.
“We will not go to our homes, we will go to Masjid Rehmatallil Alameen.”
Later, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan — who is heading a steering committee to oversee the implementation of the deal between the government and the TLP — dubbed the development “Pakistan’s win”.
“The TLP dharna has peacefully dispersed from Wazirabad without any further unrest or losses. Negotiations and dialogue are key to the solution of many problems,” he tweeted.
Earlier, the TLP had launched the latest round of protests in Lahore on Oct 20, primarily to exert pressure on the Punjab government for the release of its chief, Hafiz Saad Hussain Rizvi, the son of its late founder Khadim Rizvi. The younger Rizvi has been kept in detention by the Punjab government since April 12 for “maintenance of public order”.
However, TLP leader Pir Ajmal Qadri had later said the purpose of the move was “respect for the Holy Prophet (PBUH)”, while also demanding Rizvi’s release.
After three days of clashes with the police in Lahore, the TLP started a long march to Islamabad on Oct 22. At least five police officials were martyred and scores of others from both sides received injuries in clashes in Lahore and Gujranwala as the marchers moved on the Grand Trunk Road.
The TLP leadership on Oct 30 asked the protesters to wait at Wazirabad for further instructions when the government and the group started negotiations.
On Oct 31, members of the negotiating team from the government side claimed that they had reached an agreement with the proscribed group but refused to divulge its details.
Sources stated that the TLP was assured that the government would not pursue minor cases against the TLP leadership and workers, but the cases registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act would be decided by courts. It also assured the TLP leadership that it would unfreeze the accounts and assets of the proscribed outfit and take steps to lift the ban.
Later, the Punjab government had sought the federal cabinet’s approval for de-prescribing the TLP, while an anti-terrorism court in Lahore had granted bail to several leaders of the TLP in multiple cases registered against them.
Eventually on Sunday, the federal cabinet gave approval for the de-proscription of the TLP, which had been declared a banned outfit in April 2020.
