LAHORE – The cabinet of Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has approved asummary to revoke the proscribed status of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan(TLP), said media reports on Thursday.
The summary, which was sent by the Home Department, was approved throughcirculation after the chief minister granted initial approval for it.
The matter to end the proscribed status of the party will now be sent tothe federal government.
The development comes after a secret agreement between the government andTLP following a protest by the banned outfit.
The recent development came amid secrecy about the details of thearrangement.
The PTI government had banned the religio-political party after itsprotests turned violent earlier in April, designated it a terrorist group,and arrested its chief Saad Rizvi.
In compliance with a secret accord, the government in the country’s mostpopulous province has decided to remove the names of around a hundredactivists of the proscribed party from the Fourth Schedule. The decisionwas taken during a meeting chaired by Punjab Law Minister in the provincialcapital. Officials also decided to release TLP activists from differentjails.
Earlier, a senior TLP leader said the government had released over 1,000supporters and would free more than 1,000 as well as drop all criminalcharges against them under the ‘peace agreement’.
*PTI ‘to welcome’ TLP joining mainstream politics*
Meanwhile, Minister of State, Ali Muhammad Khan, said the ruling PakistanTehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party would welcome the banned Tehreek-e-LabbaikPakistan (TLP) religious-political group into mainstream politics.
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Speaking on a television show, he said government representatives told TLPmembers that they should join mainstream politics and become a majorpolitical party in the South Asian country, he said while adding that TLPhas a major following.
On the other hand, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid, speaking from apresser, said that TLP chief Saad Rizvi insisted on the closure of theFrench embassy in his talks with the interior minister – contrary to whatMufti Muneeb and other members said earlier.
However, he refused to share further details as according to him PrimeMinister Imran Khan instructed only one minister to speak on the TLP issueto avoid disputed version.
The comments of the key government member came after former Ruet ChairmanMufti Muneebur Rehman said TLP never demanded the expulsion of the Frenchenvoy and the closure of the embassy.
The recent development started after the 12th of Rabiul Awwal, when TLPstaged rallies to exert pressure on the Punjab government for the releaseof its Hafiz Saad Hussain Rizvi, who has been kept in detention by thePunjab government since April 12.
The charged activists of the party also announced to march on the country’sfederal capital, prompting the government to block the routes leading toIslamabad.
More than five law enforcement personnel embraced martyred and scores fromboth sides were injured in the recent events.
