Officials from the PTI government’s negotiating team held on Sunday a press conference to update the public about their talks with the proscribed Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser were present on behalf of the government at the press conference, while Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman was also present.
Rehman started the news conference held in Islamabad, saying talks with the banned TLP have been “successful” and that an “agreement” had been reached.
Details of the agreement, however, he said will be revealed at a “suitable time”. He added that the positive outcomes of the agreement will be seen in the coming days.
He said that the agreement reached with the government was not a victory or defeat of any individual, but a victory of Islam and Pakistan.
Rehman shared that a steering committee has been constituted under the agreement which will be headed by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan, while Mufti Ghulam Ghous Baghdadi from TLP will join the committee. He said the committee will become active from today and start its work.
“The government of Pakistan and the TLP had a detailed discussion under the environment of mutual trust, and an agreement has been reached between the two sides,” Rehman announced, clarifying that the talks did not take place under any duress or in an atmosphere of tension.
He said that rationality had prevailed over sentimentalism and a consensus had been reached between the government and the banned TLP movement.
The government was scheduled to address the press conference earlier in the day at 11:15am initially, according to a handout by the Press Information Department (PID). The news conference was, however, delayed and after being rescheduled twice, was finally held at 2:45pm.
Earlier, sources privy to the development had said that the activists of the banned organization will first end their sit-in from the Grand Trunk Road (GT Road), under the agreement. Meanwhile, the government will complete the legal formalities to release the arrested workers of TLP.
The well-placed sources had said that the successful round of talks was held last night between the high-powered government team and the top leadership of the TLP.
