Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Wednesday said that 210 first information reports (FIRs) registered against workers of the proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), including against its chief Saad Hussain Rizvi, would “go through the legal process”.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Rashid said 669 out of 733 workers of the banned party who were arrested following violent clashes last week had been released. Most of these workers were from south Punjab and Faisalabad, he added.
He said the workers were released under the terms of an agreement between the government and the TLP, according to which workers arrested under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law would be freed.
However, FIRs registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act — 210 in number — would go through the courts, he said.
Giving further details, the interior minister said 30 cars were burnt in the clashes, while five vehicles taken by the TLP were returned. “The 12 people they had [taken hostage] were returned on April 19. The inspector general of Punjab police is distributing Rs400 million and certificates among the injured policemen.”
Regarding the ban on the TLP, Rashid said the party would file an appeal to the interior ministry within 30 days, after which a committee would be formed to decide the case.
“Today, the state is firmly continuing with its routine. It is not under pressure from anyone. Its writ is established,” he emphasised, warning that whoever tried to take the law into their hands would be dealt with by the state.The agreement with the TLP was done to “save the country from bloodshed, end the environment of civil war and social media conspiracies”, he said.
“We were in a much better position on Sunday but some anti-state elements from outside the country were doing such propaganda and showing such videos that people in [the videos] themselves came forward later to say they were alive.”…..
Source: dawn.com
