Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Pakistan Chairman Mufti Muneebur Rehman Sunday said the authorities should show leniency towards Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) leaders and activists for the losses incurred to public and private property during their protests and sit-ins last month just like they did to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over their sit-in back in 2014.
A day after Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry announced that TLP leaders Khadim Hussain Rizvi and Pir Afzal Qadri among others have been charged with sedition and terrorism, Mufti Muneeb told a press conference on Sunday that the ruling party had also been involved in ‘unlawful’ activities including attacks on the parliament building and the PTV headquarters. “If they can be pardoned for conducting those acts, then the TLP leaders and activists also deserve similar treatment,” he argued. “Cases were also lodged against the current rulers, which were later dismissed on personal guarantees … treason charges are also framed on those living lavishly in palaces in Dubai these days,” he said, adding that legislation should be made for uniform action over damages during protests and sit-ins. Urging the prime minister, chief justice and army chief to pardon the TLP leaders for issuing provocative statements against them, Mufti Muneeb said the authorities must refrain from making the TLP an example as this will give them only a temporary success but will ignite a fire that can engulf the entire country. “Even superpowers have failed to control terrorism by using force … we don’t want to arouse religious sentiments and want a peaceful way to resolve the issue,” he remarked. Mufti Muneeb said Prime Minister Imran Khan was approached to nominate the federal minister for religious affairs for negotiations with the TLP leadership and leave Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry for the ‘political wrestling’.
Published in Daily Times, December 3rd 2018.
