Countrywide protests vanish as govt gives in to TLYRA demands

KARACHI/LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: The three-week long sit-in in Islamabad along with countrywide protests that sprung up in aftermath of a crackdown have finally begun to vanish on Monday after protesting religious party announced reaching an agreement with the government.

Tehreek-e-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYRA) chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi announced making a ‘conditional pact’ with the government earlier today in a press conference.

“The government has accepted our prime demand, some of the conditions concerning release of party activists [detained during crackdown], free medication to injured, and free education to heirs of martyrs are still to be fulfilled,” Rizvi said.

The protesters have been demanding action against those involved in making ‘now-withdrawn’ amendments to a clause pertaining to the Khatm-e-Nabuwwat oath for electoral candidates and the sacking of Law Minister Zahid Hamid.

Soon after Rizvi’s presser, the religious parties’ protesters began to disperse in various cities of the country including Peshawar, Quetta, Rawalpindi and Mardan.

In Karachi, the protesters vacated the Numaish traffic intersection where several activists belonging to the TLYRA and Sunni Tehreek (ST) had camped out in protest for a week.

All main arteries of the city were opened for traffic, besides markets and shops.

Lahoreites breathed a sigh of relief after normal life returned in the Punjab’s capital city. The bus and train services in Lahore and Rawalpindi were restored after remained suspended for couple of days.