Govt reaches agreement with TLP, details to be revealed later

ISLAMABAD: The government and the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) have reached an agreement after lengthy negotiations, religious scholar Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman announced on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference alongside Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Khan and TLP leaders, Mufti Muneeb said the details of the agreement would be revealed in the future.

He said a committee comprising of government and TLP representatives has been formed to oversee the implementation of the agreement. “The committee will be headed by Ali Mohammad Khan with Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat to be its member. Whereas, the TLP will be represented by Mufti Ghulam Ghous Baghdadi and Hafeezullah Alavi,” he disclosed.

“This is not the victory of any individual but it is the victory of Islam and the country,” Mufti Muneeb said, adding that the negotiations between the two sides were held in a serious, responsible and independent environment.

He said the positive outcome of the agreement would be visible in the days to come. “The two sides entered into the accord in the best interest of the country and its people and before any untoward incident,” he said, urging the media to portray the development in a positive manner.

Thanking all the religious scholars who took part in the negotiations for “saving the country from descending into a crisis”, FM Qureshi said the National Security Committee (NSC) decided to prefer talks and resolve the matter with sensibility.

“The nation was in a state of restlessness as innocent lives were lost, properties damaged and path of ambulances heading towards hospitals blocked. There was an apprehension of the economy suffering. All these things were kept in mind,” he maintained.

“Chaos would have benefited the forces who desire anarchy in the country. The government opted for the path of peace and security.”