Battleground LahoreĮarlier on Sunday, Punjab police said the violence occurred after "miscreants" - an apparent reference to TLP workers - attacked a police station and abducted the DSP, adding that it acted only in "self-defence". "Until now, we have remained calm so that the government may come to its senses, but that does not seem to be happening," he said, demanding that all arrested activists be granted bail on personal surety and all FIRs against them be cancelled.
Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced that he "fully support" the Mufti's call for strike.Īddressing a press conference, Muneeb demanded that the ban imposed on the TLP earlier this week be lifted and the arrested workers of the party be released. He also appealed to all political parties to support the strike call. Meanwhile, Mufti Muneebur Rehman, former chairman of the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee, late Sunday announced a nationwide strike against the government's handling of the situation in Lahore and asked that businesses remain closed on Monday. Special Assistant to the Punjab Chief Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, however, said the attackers had kidnapped 12 police officials, including the DSP, and taken them to their markaz. On Sunday, spokesperson for Lahore CCPO Rana Arif told that workers of TLP "brutally tortured" a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and took him, as well as four other officials, hostage. The protest at Nawankot has dispersed and police and Rangers are present on the scene, he added.
"Police contingents as well as Rangers have been deployed at sensitive areas across the city," the spokesperson said.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Lahore police said that Lahore CCPO Ghulam Mehmood Dogar had participated in the operation to free the officials. Rashid and Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noorul Haq Qadri would participate in the third round, Chaudhry said in his tweet. The Punjab governor and provincial Law Minister Raja Basharat represented the government in the second round, he said, adding that the third round of talks would take place at 10pm tonight. Later on Monday, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that the second round of talks between the TLP and the Punjab government had concluded. The government representatives said that they would convey the TLP's demands to higher ups, sources said. However, the government asked for time when it came to the TLP's demands to release Rizvi, take back the FIRs and lift the ban on the party. Regarding the first demand, the government said that it would take the matter to parliament.
The TLP workers had four demands they put forth the expulsion of the French ambassador, the release of party chief Saad Rizvi, the removal of the ban on the party and the release of activists arrested as well as the FIRs against them to be revoked. We hope that the second meeting after sehri will also prove fruitful and matters will be resolved amicably with the TLP," he added.Īccording to sources familiar with the matter, Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar and Punjab IG Inam Ghani were part of the government team that met with the TLP near the Babu Sabu Interchange. "These negotiations were held successfully by the Punjab government. A post shared by Churail Sarwat minister expressed hope that the rest of the matters would be resolved with the TLP in the second round of talks.