In pics: Islamabad stands still as Pak issues ‘last warning’ to religious protestors | World News - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

In pics: Islamabad stands still as Pak issues ‘last warning’ to religious protestors

Hindustan Times | ByAgencies
Nov 19, 2017 02:00 PM IST

Pakistani authorities had to extend deadline for protestors to disperse peacefully.

Pakistani authorities today deferred by 24 hours the operation against protesters led by hardline clerics blocking two busy highways in the capital, as the earlier deadline for them to disperse peacefully or face a crackdown came to an end this morning.

Supporters of Pakistani radical religious party shout slogans during a sit-in protest at an intersection of Islamabad, Pakistan.(AP)
Supporters of Pakistani radical religious party shout slogans during a sit-in protest at an intersection of Islamabad, Pakistan.(AP)

About 2,000 activists of Tehreek-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat, Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYR) and the Sunni Tehreek Pakistan (ST) for about two weeks have been blocking the Islamabad Expressway and Murree Road that connect Islamabad with its only airport and the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Pakistani activists of the Tehreek-i-Labaik Yah Rasool Allah Pakistan religious group shout slogans on a blocked flyover bridge during a week long protest in Islamabad . (AFP)
Pakistani activists of the Tehreek-i-Labaik Yah Rasool Allah Pakistan religious group shout slogans on a blocked flyover bridge during a week long protest in Islamabad . (AFP)

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the government has decided to give talks one last chance and convince the protesters to disperse peacefully instead of resorting to force.

“The government is trying to deal with the situation. We will wait for the outcome of the talks with leaders of protesters,” he said.

Iqbal said Senator Raja Zafarul Haq will head the negotiating team and expressed hope that he would succeed.

Hundreds of supporters of the TLYR have blocked the main road to Islamabad, threatening violence if Law Minister Zahid Hamid is not sacked.

Head of the Tehreek-i-Labaik Yah Rasool Allah Pakistan religious group Khadim Hussain Rizvi (R), offers Friday prayers on a blocked flyover bridge. (AFP)
Head of the Tehreek-i-Labaik Yah Rasool Allah Pakistan religious group Khadim Hussain Rizvi (R), offers Friday prayers on a blocked flyover bridge. (AFP)

.

They blame the minister for changes to an electoral oath (Khatm-i-Nabuwwat or finality of the Prophethood) that they allege amounts to blasphemy. The government has said the issue arose due to a clerical error.

The government had buckled under pressure and restored the oath to its original form on Thursday after the National Assembly passed the amendment to the law.

Pakistan’s blasphemy law is a lightning rod for Islamists, especially since 2011 when the liberal governor of Punjab province, Salman Taseer, was murdered by a bodyguard for questioning it. The law mandates the death penalty for insulting Islam or the Prophet Mohammad.

Activists from the religious group block a street during the protest. (AFP)
Activists from the religious group block a street during the protest. (AFP)

The government had come under criticism for letting the protests linger on despite hardships faced by commuters but it balked away from use of force due to fears of a backlash by extremists.

However, authorities acted after the Islamabad High Court yesterday ordered the city administration to clear the roads and issued a 24-hour deadline for protesters to disperse. Hundreds of security personnel in riot gear were deployed to take action against the protesters.

Soldiers of Frontier Constabulary stand guard at barricaded road close to the site of sit-in protest at an intersection of Islamabad. (AP)
Soldiers of Frontier Constabulary stand guard at barricaded road close to the site of sit-in protest at an intersection of Islamabad. (AP)

The protesters, however, refused to call off the demonstration and demanded that Law Minister Hamid be removed for allegedly orchestrating the changes in the electoral oath.

A spokesman for the Labaik party, Ejaz Ashrafi, said the group would not comply with the deputy commissioner’s ultimatum. “We’re not moving,” he told Reuters by phone from the sit-in.

Unlock a world of Benefits with HT! From insightful newsletters to real-time news alerts and a personalized news feed – it's all here, just a click away! - Login Now!

Get Latest World News along with Latest News from India at Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On