LAHORE: As the sit-in called by the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) to press for the implementation of the Faizabad agreement entered its fifth day on Friday, the party announced that while it would not spread the scope of its protest to other cities until the next week when the government would have met its demands, it would continue its sit-in in Lahore.

Addressing a press conference on Friday evening after, what the TLP leadership called was a breakdown of talks with the provincial government, its leaders said that they would not issue protest calls to other cities because the government had sought a week’s time.

“If the 11-point Faizaabad agreement, which includes provisions like the release of arrested workers and withdrawal of cases against them, is not implemented the entire country will be on the roads next Friday. The TLP will wait till 4pm next Thursday before announcing the next phase of its protest,” Pir Afzal Qadri, chairperson of the TLP, told journalists.

Joined by TLP leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi, Mr Qadri said the Punjab government had agreed to present provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah before a seven-member committee of ulema, who would quiz him over his controversial interview and issue a religious edict (fatwa), which the law minister and the provincial government would have to accept.

Mr Qadri also said that the issue was about the finality of the Prophethood; it was nothing personal. The police had registered cases against the workers and leadership of the TLP because of the protest they had held for the cause.

“Otherwise, all TLP members, including emir Khadim Hussain Rizvi, are law-abiding citizens,” he said.

Speaking to Dawn, Mr Sanaullah said the Faizabad agreement had been drawn up between the federal government and the TLP, with a third party acting as guarantor. The Punjab government was trying to facilitate the federal government and the TLP to reach an amicable solution, he said, adding that the federal police had registered cases against the TLP workers and their leaders so the Punjab police could not help with that.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2018