Pakistan Min Sheikh Rashid says details of govt's deal with TLP to be announced in 10 days

Pakistan's Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Saturday set a deadline for the release of details of the government's deal with the recently de-proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), ANI reported citing local media reports.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Rashid expected the agreement's terms to be disclosed within seven to 10 days. Notably, on October 31, the Pakistani government and the TLP struck an agreement, the contents of which Mufti Muneebur Rehman, the appointed mediator, said will be announced at the appropriate time. The negotiations were done as seven police officers were killed during the nearly two-week-long violent protests in the country.

"An agreement has been decided with the TLP. Whatever is in that agreement will come out to the people in a few days," ANI cited Dawn quoting Rashid as saying while speaking to the media in Islamabad on Saturday. "The hope is that whatever their matters have been decided, [their details] will come out in seven to 10 days and they will be positive," the Pakistani Interior minister added.

According to Dawn, Minister Sheikh Rashid told the media that the agreement was negotiated by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Punjab government and that he was not involved in the process.

Imran Khan govt lifts ban on TLP; succumbs to extremist group

The Imran Khan-led Pakistan government last week, on November 7, succumbed to the hardline extremist group Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and approved to lift the ban on the party. This comes after the Pakistan government had reached an agreement with the hardline Islamists last week.

However, the decision by the Imran Khan government remains questionable as it also paves the way for the group to take part in all sorts of political activities. Moreover, it will set a bad precedent and will also affect the future governments of Pakistan. With Imran Khan's nod to lift the ban, future Pakistan governments will also be vulnerable to extremists groups and their bullying.

Earlier in April, the TLP was declared as a proscribed organisation after the extremists carried out violent protests to force Imran Khan's administration to expel the French ambassador over the issue of blasphemous cartoons published in France.

(With ANI Inputs)

Image: AP