Federal Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has convened a meeting of religious clerics today (Monday) to find out a peaceful way to end 14-day-long sit-in by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah Pakistan and Sunni Tehreek as a deadlock persists between the government and leaders of the protesters despite a series of negotiations. The minister said in a statement that the meeting has been convened to hold consultation with religious clerics/ulemas of different schools of thought to find out a peaceful end to the sit-in.
He said the ulema would also be requested during the meeting to unite the nation at the issue of Khatam-e-Nabuwwat. The protesters led by Khadim Hussain Rizvi have camped out at Faizabad Interchange, the main gateway to Islamabad and Rawalpindi, demanding resignation of Law Minister Zahid Hamid. Earlier, addressing a press conference, the minister said that a delegation of around 30 religious clerics presented a suggestion before the government on Saturday night during the negotiations and the government has accepted it.
This delegation has been discussing the proposal to peacefully end the sit-in with the protesters' leaders and "I hope they will too agree with the proposal," the minister said.
He said the government has been trying its best to find out a peaceful solution to the issue, but if the protesters continue to stick with stubbornness, then the government would be left with no option but to use force to disperse them. He, however, clarified that use of the force against the protesters would be a last option to disperse them.
The protesters have stuck to their one demand only and that is resignation of the law minister, he said, adding that it is unfair to seek the resignation as per Islamic laws until Zahid Hamid is proven guilty. He also suggested the protesters to wait for a final report of the committee headed by PML-N senator Raja Zafar-ul-Haq that was constituted to probe as to who was behind omission of clauses in Elections Act 2017 pertaining to status of Ahmadis.
The minister said that the government has rectified the mistake and even strengthened the Khatam-e-Nabuwwat laws through the amendments passed by the National Assembly and Senate. "There is no justification of the sit-in after restoration of the clauses pertaining to Khatam-e-Nabuwwat in their original form," he said, adding that nobody should use the issue for political and personal gains.
The minister said that Parliament and public are the main guardian of the Khatam-e-Nabuwwat and nobody would be allowed to make any changes to the laws pertaining to the subject. He once again appealed to the protesters' leaders to end their sit-in peacefully as this has also been directed by Islamabad High Court through an order.
"I have sought more time from the court to disperse the protesters peacefully," he said, adding that law enforcement agencies' personnel are fully prepared and equipped in the riot gears to deal with any untoward situation.
Addressing the sit-in participants, Khadim Rizvi said that Raja Zafar-ul-Haq should inform the public about involvement of the law minister in omission of the clauses from the electoral laws. "If Zahid Hamid is not a culprit, then the government must disclose identity of the person involved in this sensitive issue," he said, adding that they could also demand dissolution of National Assembly, Senate and cabinet if the government failed to remove the law minister.
Heavy contingents of police and Frontier Constabulary have been deployed around the site where the protesters have been staging the sit-in, waiting for the orders from higher ups for any operation. A couple of police personnel were injured in a brief clash with some protesters at different points across the sit-in location.
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