Pakistani religious group to call off protests after gov't deal

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A Pakistani religious group whose supporters clashed with the police over the weekend is to call off its weeks-long protest after the government agreed to its demands and the law minister resigned, its spokesman said on Monday.

"Our main demand has been accepted," Ejaz Ashrafi, spokesman of the Tahreek-e-Labaik group, told reporters. "Government will announce the law minister’s resignation and we will end our sit-in today."

Law minister Zahid Hamid has resigned, Pakistani official PTV reported early Monday.

Pakistani Law minister Zahid Hamid. /Reuters Photo

"In order to restore peace in the country, I have decided to step down from my position," local media quoted the minister as saying. It's not clear whether Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will accept or reject his resignation.

The Pakistani government last month passed a religion-related bill which triggered strong opposition from the religious community. The government later retracted the bill, but some religious groups further demanded the resignation of the law minister and staged the sit-in protest for almost three weeks.

The religious groups have blocked the entrance to Islamabad, the capital.

The government then took a clearance operation on Saturday after several rounds of negotiations with the protesters. However, the operation triggered more protests in major cities across the country.

Rangers stand guard at a flashpoint with protesters near the Faizabad junction in Islamabad, Pakistan November 26, 2017. /Reuters Photo

Later the Pakistani Army was called out to help maintain order in Islamabad, and local reports quoted sources as saying that the final agreement between the government and protestors was brokered by the army.

Several were killed and hundreds were injured during the Saturday clearance operation in Islamabad and clashes in other cities.

Source(s): Reuters ,Xinhua News Agency