Operation against Faizabad protesters postponed for 24 hours

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal ordered on Saturday morning the district administration to give another 24 hours to the protesters to disperse and end sit-in at Islamabad's Faizabad Interchange.

A heavy contingent of Islamabad Police, Frontier Corps and Rangers personnel arrived on Saturday morning at the Faizabad, equipped with tear gas and shell guns to disperse the crowd that have been protesting since 12 days at the interchange.

In a bid to find a peaceful solution to the protest, the interior minister appealed to the religious leaders and protesters to end their sit for the sake of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Ahsan said that it was the duty of the protesters to oblige to the orders of Islamabad High Court.

The parliament had already restored on Thursday clause related to Khatm-e-Nabuwwat declaration to its original form.

Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui had ordered on Friday the Islamabad district administration to take whatever measures required to clear the Faizabad Interchange by 10am Saturday. The protesters have been refusing to budge from their ongoing sit in until the Supreme Court takes notice of the Khatm-e-Nabuwwat oath issue.

For late 12 days, two religious parties have been protesting against a reversed change in the Khatm-e-Nabuwwat oath in the Elections Act 2017 in their sit-in. In protest to the government’s controversial amendment and reversal in the finality of Prophethood oath for lawmakers, the parties, Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah and the Sunni Tehreek Pakistan, have been protesting.