ISLAMABAD: More than 800 followers of proscribed Tehrik-e-Labbaik Pakistan have been set free from Punjab prisons in the wake of an agreement between the government and the TLP.
Officials said said the people who were released were those arrested during crackdowns on the protests — which started on the 12th of Rabiul Awwal — and raids.
The TLP men released after scrutiny, but those facing cases would have to obtain bail from courts.
It is, however, yet not decided whether TLP workers detained under Section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) 1960 would also be released.
The TLP launched the protests in Lahore on Oct 20, with the aim to put pressure on the Punjab government for the release of its chief, Hafiz Saad Hussain Rizvi, son of Khadim Rizvi, late founder of the organisation. 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 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. 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.
Agreement
On Sunday, 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.
Mufti Munibur Rehman, who facilitated the talks along with some other religious leaders, had said at the time that details of the agreement would be made public at an “appropriate time”. He, however, said its “positive results” would be visible to the nation next week or during the next 10 days.
He then used an English proverb “action speaks louder than words” to justify the move to keep details of the deal secret.
According to sources, the government assured the TLP leadership that it would unfreeze the accounts and assets of the proscribed outfit and take steps to lift the ban. They said the TLP was also 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.
‘Alliance with TLP means isolation’
Meanwhile, Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry said the TLP would be “over sooner than Sunni Tehreek” — a religious organisation that converted itself into a political party in 2012.
In a tweet, Chaudhry said that religious extremist groups “have capacity to use mob for violence but [their] capacity to stir politics has always been limited”.
“At one point Sunni Tehreek was more violent than TLP but done n dusted this party will be over sooner, alliance with such party means international isolation,” he added.
