ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed today said that the door to hold negotiations with the proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) are still open, but the state’s writ will be ensured at all costs.
Talking to media after meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) he said wanted to settle the issue in friendly manner. Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired the NSC meeting to review the law and order situation in the country, with a specific focus on the protests by the banned organisation.
Sheikh Rashid said it was the government’s responsibility to secure people’s lives and property.
“Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noor-ul-Haq Qadri and I will hold talks with the proscribed TLP,” he said.
The NSC meeting, which continued for two hours, was attended by the top civil and military leadership, including all services and intelligence chiefs.
Federal ministers Pervez Khattak, Sheikh Rasheed, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Fawad Chauhdry were also present.
It is pertinent to mention that Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain had earlier ruled out the possibility of negotiations with the proscribed TLP until it cleared all the roads and handed over the culprits responsible for martyring several policemen in recent clashes.
The minister had also urged ‘patriots’ to distance themselves from the ongoing protests and return home instead of becoming part of a campaign which he described as tantamount to terrorism against the state.
Protests by members of the proscribed group entered their eighth day today (Friday), with protesters camping out in Kamoke for the last couple of days.
Initially, the proscribed group had staged sit-ins in Multan and Lahore, after which a march towards Islamabad was announced.
Security forces have cordoned off major roads to prevent protesters from reaching Islamabad, even digging trenches in some places to halt the advancing mob.
The protesters have resorted to staging sit-ins on GT Road for the past several days, disrupting transport services.
TLP’s march has affected life in the federal capital and various other cities in Punjab.
Strict security arrangements have been made in Rawalpindi. The main highways connecting Islamabad and Rawalpindi have been sealed and the Faizabad Metro service has been suspended. Major traffic jams have been reported on alternative routes and citizens are facing difficulties as it has also become difficult to go to hospitals.
