Govt to present resolution on French envoy’s expulsion in NA today: Rashid

ISLAMABAD, APR 20: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Tuesday announced that the government will present a resolution on the expulsion of the French ambassador in the National Assembly later today.

In a video statement, he said the decision was taken after another round of talks with the recently proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

On Monday, the NA session was adjourned to meet again on April 22 (Thursday) at 2pm. However, shortly after the minister's statement, it was announced that the schedule had been changed and the session would take place on April 20 (today) at 3pm.

Rashid said that the TLP had agreed to call off protests across the country. "Talks with the party will continue," he said.

The minister said that cases registered against TLP workers under the Fourth Schedule will also be withdrawn, adding that he will give a detailed briefing on the development via a press conference later today.

The announcement comes after a government delegation, comprising the interior minister and Religious Affairs Minister Pir Noorul Haq Qadri, met TLP workers for yet another round of talks in Lahore late on Monday.

The first round of talks between the Punjab government and workers of the banned party took place on Sunday after day-long clashes between TLP workers and law enforcers. On Monday, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had said that the second round had concluded, adding that a third would begin at 10pm.

Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar and provincial Law Minister Raja Basharat represented the government in the second round, according to Chaudhry.

Before the breakthrough, three rounds of talks between the government and TLP party chief Saad Rizvi at Kot Lakhpat jail remained inconclusive on Monday as the latter could not be convinced to record a video message for party workers to end their plans of a long march on Islamabad.

However, the two sides had agreed to meet again late in the night at Punjab Governor House to discuss and finalise which demands put forward by the TLP chief as a prerequisite for terminating the outfit’s protest plan could be accepted by the government.

Punjab Quran Board (PQB) chairman Hamid Raza, Sunni Tehreek’s Sarwat Ijaz Qadri, former lawmaker belonging to the Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan Abul Khair Mohammad Zubair and PML-N MPA Mian Jalil Ahmed Sharaqpuri represented the government side in the talks.

Anas Rizvi, the younger brother of Saad Rizvi, also accompanied them to jail where they broke their fast and offered taraveeh prayer with the TLP chief.

In a brief talk before leaving the jail, Hamid Raza had told the media that there had been progress in the parleys and had hoped that the fourth round, to be held at Governor House, would be conclusive. He had claimed that the TLP chief had appealed to his party activists to remain peaceful.

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