LAHORE: A delegation of religious scholars met the banned organisation Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) chief Saad Rizvi and urged him to end the protests.
The delegation, led by Sahibzada Hamid Raza, asked Saad Rizvi to issue a video message and request the protesters to end their Lahore sit-in as well as other demonstrations, sources said on Monday.
Sources further said the talks between Rizvi and the delegation have been going on for five hours, while the team also had iftar with the banned TLP chief in jail. The scholars tried to persuade Saad Rizvi to resolve the issues amicably, sources added.
The delegation included Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Sarwat Ejaz Qadri, Mian Jalil Sharqpuri, and Sahibzada Abul Khair Zabir, among others.
Before the visit to the jail, an emergency meeting of leaders of Jamiat-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat and leaders of major religious and political parties was held at Jamia Masjid Siddique Akbar, Allahabad Rawalpindi under the chairmanship of Shaykh-ul-Hadith Maulana Qazi Abdul Rashid.
The participants of the meeting expressed deep sorrow and grief over the Lahore tragedy and strongly condemned it and termed the brutal use of force in Lahore as the worst form of fascism and demanded immediate resignation of the government.
The participants appealed to the parties for reconciliation and warned the parties not to let the situation go in a direction that would benefit the enemies of Islam and the country and cause harm to the country.
On April 12, The Punjab police had detained the proscribed organization’s chief, following which he was shifted to Kot Lakhpat Jail.
Earlier in the day, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said, “The second round of talks between the banned Tehreek-e-Labeek and the Punjab government ended Governor Punjab Chaudhry Sarwar and Law Minister Raja Basharat represented the government.”
The third round will be held at 10 pm with the participation of Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid and Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri, he added.
کالعدم تحریک لبیک اور حکومت پنجاب کے درمیان مذاکرات کا دوسرا راؤنڈ کچھ دیر پہلے اختتام پذیر ہوا، گورنر پنجاب چوہدری سرور اور وزیر قانون راجہ بشارت نے حکومت کی نمائندگی کی تیسرا راؤنڈ رات کو دس بجے ہو گا جس میں وزیر داخلہ شیخ رشید اور وزیر مذھبی امور نور الحق قادری شریک ہوں گے،
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) April 19, 2021
On Sunday, the city of Lahore became a battleground as workers of the recently proscribed party and policemen clashed. TLP workers also took 11 policemen hostage, who were later released after the first round of talks with the government.
The district police on Monday registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the workers of proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) for their role in besieging the Lahore police station.
