Govt, protesters in Islamabad reach agreement to end Dharna
ISLAMABAD, (MILLAT ONLLINE):The government and protesters in Islamabad on Monday reached an agreement to end Dharna (sit-in) following resignation of Federal Law Minister Zahid Hamid.
The law minister’s resignation was the key demand of the protesters, which have been staging a sit-in at Faizabad Interchange for the last more than three weeks.
The resignation came as part of an agreement reached between the government and the participants of the sit-in overnight on Sunday.
The agreement followed a two-day face-off at Faizabad Interchange and other parts of the country between protesters and security forces that resulted in death of six people and injuries to many.
The government first tried to negotiate with the protesters while refusing their demand for the resignation of federal law minister, but all the talks remained unsuccessful until Zahid Hamid tendered his resignation.
According to six-point agreement reached between the government and Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) and other religious groups, the Federal Law Minister should resign through whose ministry amendment in the law relating to Finality of Prophethood was made. The TLP would not issue any Fatwa (verdict) against the minister.
The TLP appreciated the amendment (inclusion of 7B, 7C) made in Election Act along with the affidavit by the government on demand of TLP, however, report of Leader of the House in Senate, Raja Zafarul Haq committee will be made public within 30 days and action will be taken against the responsible for the earlier controversial amendment as per law of the land.
Senator Raja Zafar-ul-Haq was heading the committee formed earlier by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz to fix responsibility for the introduction of the controversial amendment to the finality of Prophethood declaration.
The other point was that all activists of TLP, who have been arrested/detained since start of Dharna (sit-in) from November 6, should be released within three days while cases against them be withdrawn.
An Inquiry Board should be constituted in consultation with TLP to probe November 25 action of the government against the protestors. The Board should investigate, fix responsibility and propose legal action against those responsible for the operation.
The agreement also included the condition that the damage to public and private properties from November 6 to until now (during Dharna time) should be compiled and financial loss in this regard be borne by the Federal government.
Moreover, both the government and representatives of protestors also reached an agreement that the points relating to government of Punjab, upon which consensus had been made, should be implemented in letter and spirit.
The agreement was signed by Minister for Interior Ahsan Iqbal, Secretary Interior, Arshad Mirza, Central Ameer TLP, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, Pir Muhammad Afzal Qadri, Muhammad Waheed Noor and Major General Faiz Hameed.