According to ARY News’ correspondent Zulqarnain Haider, the law enforcement personnel have taken positions around the Islamabad protesters and are advancing. Punjab police and FC personnel started advancing towards the protesters and took up positions close to D-Chowk.
Meanwhile, the government was monitoring the Red Zone aerially through the use of a helicopter. State-owned television reported that the first phase of the operation had begun. The negotiating committee which had been handling talks with protesters left D-Chowk.
Owais Noorani, a member of the negotiating committee, said that the committee would return by half-an-hour and good news would be announced soon. Noorani also said that an operation would not be conducted since things would not come to that point.
Pir Afzal Qadri said while speaking to ARY News that the government had accepted all major demands of the protesters. Meanwhile, Sarwat Ijaz Qadri, Pir Afzal Qadri and Mohommad Rafeeq had left for Punjab House to take part in negotiations.
Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar will conduct a press conference at Punjab House around six-thirty pm and brief the media regarding the latest developments.
ARY News’ bureau chief Sabir Shakir said that earlier reports of the operation about to begin were incorrect.
