Agreement not desirable, but government had little choice: Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal
Civil and military leadership acted collectively to avoid ‘religion-based violence, says Ahsan Iqbal
November 29, 2017
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Wednesday that the agreement between the government and the protestors was not desirable but the government had little choice as if the situation had persisted there would have been riots in the country.
In another tweet, the interior minister stated that the civil and military leadership acted collectively to avoid ‘religion-based violence’ all across the country.
Meanwhile, protesters belonging to a little-known religious group have refused to disperse in parts of Lahore despite the resignation of Law Minister Zahid Hamid and an agreement between the government and protesters in Islamabad.
The weeks-long protest at Faizabad Interchange in Islamabad was called off on Monday following the voluntary resignation of Federal Law Minister Zahid Hamid and an agreement signed between the government and protesters.
Following the negotiations, the leader of the religious group appealed to protesters across the country to disperse. However, protesters belonging to a separate faction of the religious group have refused to wrap up their sit-in at Lahore’s Faisal Chowk and Shahdara, saying they will not leave until their demands are met.
These protesters, from a different faction of the same religious group, are demanding the resignation of Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, and have said they will not disperse even after demonstrations across the country began to end, restoring life to normalcy in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Karachi and other cities.
The protesters have blocked roads at Faisal Chowk, creating difficulties for residents passing through the area. Police contingents have been deployed around the area to keep the situation under control.
