To end impasse, Pakistan government, banned outfit TLP reach agreement

In order to end the nearly two-week-long impasse, the members of the negotiating team of the government claimed on Sunday that they reached an ‘agreement’ with the banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). The team, however, refused to divulge details.  

At a press conference, Mufti Munibur Rehman announced, “The government of Pakistan and the TLP held detailed negotiations in an environment of mutual trust and an agreement has been reached between the two sides.”  

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Rehman was accompanied by government’s negotiating team members Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Khan and National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser.  

Mufti Munib, who had facilitated the talks along with some other religious leaders in individual capacity, said the agreement had the backing of jailed TLP chief Saad Rizvi.   

In the negotiations, Mufti Umair Al-Azhari, Allama Ghulam Abbas Faizi and Hafiz Hafeez participated from the TLP side, Munib added.

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A steering committee headed by Minister Ali Mohammad Khan, which also comprised Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat, the federal interior secretary and Punjab home secretary and TLP representatives, Mufti Ghulam Ghous Baghdadi and Engineer Hafeezullah Alvi, would oversee the agreement’s implementation, he said.  

At the presser, the TLP representatives were also present but they stayed silent.  

Mufti Munib said the details of the agreement would be made public at an ‘appropriate time’.   

(With inputs from agencies)