Tag: Tehreek-e-Labbaik

  • Policemen taken hostage by TLP released after successful talks with Punjab govt

    Policemen taken hostage by TLP released after successful talks with Punjab govt

    Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed announced this morning that after a successful first round of talks between the Punjab government and the recently banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), 11 policemen who had been taken hostage on Sunday have been released.

    In a video statement released in the wee hours of April 19, Rasheed said that the first round of talks was successful and he was hopeful that the second round of talks after sehri would also be fruitful. The minister hoped that matters would be resolved amicably. Four demands have been put forth by the proscribed party: 1) release of TLP leader Saad Rivi, 2) Lift the ban on TLP, 3) FIRs against TLP workers be quashed and TLP workers released, 4) expel the French ambassador.

    As per the list released to the media, the total number of released hostages was 16, which included 11 policemen and other staff members. Most of the officials had head injuries as well as other injuries due to torture. Geo News had reported that the hostages were kept in the basement of a mosque.

    List of policemen and security staff released

    Dawn reported that Lahore CCPO Ghulam Mehmood Dogar had participated in the operation to free the officials. “Police contingents, as well as Rangers, have been deployed at sensitive areas across the city,” said the spokesperson for the Lahore Police.

    Countrywide protests erupted on Monday after security forces detained TLP chief Saad Hussain Rizvi in Lahore. Rizvi’s detention quickly sparked violent protests by TLP workers in cities around the country. Videos of policemen being beaten up by the protesters went viral on social media. Some police officials tweeted about the writ of the state.

    Later, the government had taken the decision to ban TLP under Section 11(B) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

    On Sunday, violence erupted in Lahore’s Chowk Yateem Khana after the TLP workers attacked a police station and abducted the DSP, according to the Punjab Police. A statement by the Punjab Police said that “miscreants were armed and attacked Rangers/Police”.

  • France advises citizens to leave Pakistan

    France advises citizens to leave Pakistan

    The French Embassy has advised all French nationals and companies to temporarily leave Pakistan as violent anti-France protests paralyse the country.

    “Due to the serious threats to French interests in Pakistan, French nationals and French companies are advised to temporarily leave the country,” the embassy said in an email to French citizens.

    “The departures will be carried out by existing commercial airlines.”

    Anti-French sentiment has been simmering for months in Pakistan since the government of President Emmanuel Macron expressed support for a magazine’s right to republish blasphemous caricatures depicting Holy Prophet (PBUH).

    On Wednesday, the Pakistani government moved to ban the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) whose leader had called for the expulsion of the French ambassador.

    Saad Rizvi was detained hours after making his demands, bringing thousands of his supporters to the streets in cities across Pakistan.

    Violent countrywide clashes have led to the death of at least three cops and hundreds of other casualties from both the police and protesters.

  • PM announces putting Labbaik’s demands, including ratification of blasphemy bill, forward in parliament

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has said that following an agreement with the hardliner Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), their demands will be put forward in the parliament.

    According to reports, the premier, in a statement, said that the government spoke to TLP, and the party has decided to extend the “deadline” given to the government from February to April 20.

    The demands put forth by TLP include the French ambassador’s deportation, ratification of the blasphemy bill, and a ban on French goods after blasphemous caricatures were published in France that had sparked protests across the Muslim world.

    Late last year, hundreds of protesters in Pakistan, most of them led by TLP leaders, had burned effigies of France’s leader and chanted anti-French slogans, as President Emmanuel Macron had tried to send a message of understanding to Muslims around the world.

    Smaller demonstrations in Lebanon, Turkey and India followed on anti-France protests across the Muslim world last week that were mostly led by Islamist groups, reported AP news agency.

    The renewed protests had come after President Macron’s interview in which he said that he understood the shock Muslims felt at caricatures depicting the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

    Macron was speaking with the Qatar-based Arabic TV station Al-Jazeera, where he also defended freedoms of expression and France’s secular values.

    Just days before TLP chief Khadim Rizvi’s death, the protests had also turned ugly in Rawalpindi-Islamabad.

  • Labbaik leader Khadim Rizvi passes away

    Renowned cleric and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi passed away on Thursday.

    Earlier it was reported that he was suffering from high-grade fever for the past couple of days, which had led to speculations if he was suffering from COVID-19.

    The same was claimed by journalist Mubashir Zaidi, who quoted a hospital spokesperson.

    While TLP leaders have confirmed reports of Rizvi’s passing, conflicting reports claim that the cleric was not suffering from any illness.

    Meanwhile, condolences are pouring in over social media as people say they “forgive” the late religious leader who was known for his aggressive speeches besides promotion of extremist element in the religio-political landscape of the country.

    He had just earlier this week led a protest rally in the federal capital against the publication of blasphemous cartoons by a French satirical magazine.

    Things had taken an ugly turn when participants of the protest-turned-sit-in had clashed with law enforcement.

    The law and order situation had been dealt with by the government after accepting the protesters’ demands.