The government on Tuesday invited leadership of Tehreek Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYR) sit-in for negotiations and asked them to end the protest peacefully. "The government wants to give one more chance to the leaders of protestors for another round of talks, otherwise they would have to clear the roads," said the State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhary while addressing a press conference along with Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf and Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD), Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry.
Talal said that the government is making endeavours to sort out the issue through negotiations. The federal and Punjab governments have hold negotiations with the protesters from day one, adding both the governments did not create hindrances on their way from Lahore to Islamabad. During the talks with the leadership of the rally, they promised with the government that neither they would block any road nor create hurdles which could cause inconvenience to the general masses, but protesters violated the commitment.
"The government showed patience while dealing with the protesters, as their 12-point demands are totally illegal and unconstitutional which cannot be fulfilled," he said, adding that the government does not want to use force against the protesters but it would not allow them to prolong the sit-in anymore. He said that elaborate traffic plan was chalked out to curtail public problems.
About the three member-committee formed by ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif to probe the responsible for making changes in the declaration, he said that the report of the committee is still awaited. "According to the preliminary information, the committee has not fixed anyone and said that it was a single person's mistake," he said. He was of the view that sacking of the federal law minister would put his life in danger. He said that leaders of protestors had shown their confidence in Senator Raja Zafarul Haq and the committee would take some more days to complete its report.
Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf said that the government has taken notice of protesters' concern and reiterated that the government firmly believes in the Finality of Prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH). He said that the government is ready to talk with the protesters to remove their reservations. The sit-in which has been continued for the last eight days has caused huge problems and inconvenience to the public, he said, adding that Islam does not allow anyone to cause inconvenience to the general public.
Yousaf said that he requests the protestors to end their sit-in as the government has taken notice of their reservations, adding if they still have any doubts, they should discuss and clear them through the Ministry for Religious Affairs. Yousaf said that the government has already corrected the error in the nomination paper for election and now there is no justification to continue the sit-in as it has been causing inconvenience to the people in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
He said that the government took prompt action after identification of the mistake and rectified it, by summoning a special session of the Parliament. "Pakistan was created in the name of Islam and as per the Constitution, no law can be framed against the injunctions of the Holy Quran and Sunnah," he pointed out.
He said that Tehreek e Khatam-e-Nabuwat was a non-political entity and its leader Allah Wassaya along with a delegation held a meeting with him who appreciated the government's immediate action for rectifying the mistake. Meanwhile, the participants of sit-in clashed with Islamabad police on Tuesday when the police tried to clear main Faizabad Interchange. The charged protestors pelted police with stones, which resulted into injury of a senior police officer.
The sit-in has been badly disturbing life in the twin cities, causing massive traffic jams at various points on the Motorway, connecting Lahore and Islamabad. The city police have so far registered cases against leaders of religious parties staging the sit-in. The participants of the sit-in have been demanding the removal of Federal Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid from his position.
They are also demanding that all those who were responsible for removing sections 7B and 7C relating to Khatam-e-Nabuwat from recently passed election act should be taken to task, besides making the three-member inquiry committee report on the issue public. The other demands included that the government should initiate action against Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah regarding his inappropriate comments regarding Khatam-e-Nabuwat.
The government should amend Punjab Sound System Ordinance 2015 to permit installation of loudspeakers in mosques in the province, besides quashing all cases registered under the law. The government should also take appropriate steps for release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui who is currently languishing in a US prison.
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