PESHAWAR: The banned religious party, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), on Wednesday announced to resume ‘long march’ towards Islamabad, saying that the government has failed comply with the demands.
Mufti Muhammad Wazir, who is leading the march, told the media that they have decided to resume the march on Islamabad. “We have tried our best to make talks successful, but the government isn’t serious in fulfilling commitments,” Wazir said.
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According to local journalists, after 8.30 am, the TLP activists ended their protest sit-in in Muridke and started gathering around the leadership stage where it was announced to resume the ‘long march’ at around 10.30. Meanwhile, a heavy contingent of Punjab Police has been deployed near Muridke to avert the TLP activists’s movement to Islamabad. The Islamabad police has also started placing containers on the roads in Faizabad that were removed after the interior minister’s announcement that the talks were successful.
Pir Sarwar Shah, a member of the negotiating committee of TLP, had said yesterday that the government had promised to table the issue of closing the French embassy to Parliament. He said if the demand was not met by 12 noon, the TLP would start a long march towards Islamabad on Wednesday morning. He said that the government will be responsible for any consequence after its failure to fulfill commitments. “Our main demand was to expel the French ambassador,” he added.
On the other hand, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that Islamabad is not in a position to expel the French ambassador. He said that the he would contact the TLP leadership and would urge them to withdrawn from the demand. Addressing a press conference in on Tuesday, he said that all the demands of the banned TLP have been accepted, except the closure of the French embassy. According to Sheikh Rashid, “France is currently leading Europe and all European countries stand by it.”
The convoy of the TLP near Sadhuke now where police have started shelling to avert their advance. The TLP spokesman said that police have started shelling from both sides of the convoy, while the local administration has closed the road with containers and trenches in several places. Police force from in Lahore, Sheikhupura and Gujranwala have been deployed to stop the TLP march.