NA session underway to vote on resolution to expel French ambassador

NA session underway to vote on resolution to expel French ambassador

The national assembly session is underway to vote on the resolution on expulsion of French Ambassador to Pakistan over blasphemous caricatures issue.

 

The National Assembly started its session at the Parliament House in Islamabad on Tuesday with Speaker Asad Qaiser in the chair.

 

Sources said that Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid will also brief the House over government’s negotiations with the protesters of banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

 

Earlier in the day, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed announced that matters with the recently proscribed TLP have been settled after talks.

 

The interior minister said in his video statement on Twitter that the cases filed against TLP workers under the Fourth Schedule will be withdrawn.

 

Sheikh Rashid went on to say that TLP will end sit-ins from across the country including Masjid Rehmatul-lil-Aalameen while talks between the federal government and TLP will continue.

 

The development was made after talks between the government delegation and the banned TLP in Lahore. Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid, Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri, Governor Punjab Chaudhry Sarwar, Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat and representatives of police and law-enforcement agencies participated in the dialogues.

 

During the dialogues, the banned religious party demanded the resignation of Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and expulsion of French Ambassador to Pakistan.

 

The proscribed TLP also demanded immediate release of party chief Syed Saad Hussain Rizvi and other workers.

 

However, the government delegation made it clear that the demand to expel French ambassador and the resignation of Sheikh Rashid will not be accepted.