CM Punjab grants initial approval to summary for removal of TLP’s proscribed status

• Punjab home department sends a summary to CM Usman Buzdar for removal of TLP's proscribed status.
• The provincial government has decided to remove the names of 90 activists of the proscribed outfit from the fourth schedule.
• It has also decided to release 100 activists of the proscribed organisation from different jails.

LAHORE: The Chief Minister Punjab of Usman Buzdar has granted the initial approval to the summary sent to him for the revocation of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP)'s proscribed status.

The summary was sent to him by the Punjab home department on Thursday. After granting preliminary approval to the summary, the CM has now sent it to the Federal Cabinet to take a final decision regarding the matter through circulation, sources said.

The cabinet wing of the services department has now sent the summary to all the ministers of the province for their signatures, while sources added that the summary needs the support of at least 18 ministers to be approved. 

As per the rules, if no reply is received within three days, the summary will be considered approved. 

Earlier today, in compliance with a secretive deal between the government and the proscribed TLP, the Punjab government decided to remove the names of at least 90 activists of the proscribed outfit from the fourth schedule.

The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Law Minister Punjab Raja Basharat in Lahore.

The meeting also decided to release 100 more activists of the proscribed organisation from different jails in the province. It reviewed the decisions taken by the steering committee formed to deal with all TLP-related matters.

Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Rao Sardar Ali Khan, Additional Chief Secretary Home Zafar Nasrullah and others were present in the meeting.

What is the fourth schedule?

The fourth schedule is a section of the Anti-Terrorism Act under which someone who is suspected of terrorism is kept under observation. The list is referred to the police and other law enforcers for effective monitoring. If a fourth scheduler wants to move somewhere, he/she has to inform their nearby police station. The list also includes people suspected of involvement in anti-state activities and delivering hate speeches.

Govt decides to withdraw appeal against Saad Rizvi’s release

On November 2, the government began implementing the accord with TLP, with reports suggesting that it had released more than 800 supporters of the party arrested across Punjab.

The government signed an accord with the proscribed outfit last Sunday, under which workers of the organisation who are not facing any formal criminal charges were to be released. The amnesty will also extend to the party's top leader, Saad Rizvi.

Implementation of the agreement started after a Monday meeting of the steering committee formed by Prime Minister Imran Khan to work out how the deal would be executed.