Pak's banned Islamist party's chief released from Lahore jail

Giving in to the pressure mounted by the radical Islamist party, Saad Hussain Rizvi, the chief of the recently proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), was released from Lahore jail on Tuesday.

Giving in to the pressure mounted by the radical Islamist party, Saad Hussain Rizvi, the chief of the recently proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), was released from Lahore jail on Tuesday. Earlier today, Interior Minister of Pakistan Sheikh Rashid said that Imran Khan's government is in talks with the banned TLP to present a resolution in the National Assembly seeking the expulsion of the French envoy and withdrawal of cases against its members, Dawn reported.

Meanwhile, Pakistan opposition has blasted the Imran Khan-led government over its failure in handling TLP protest across the country. On Monday, Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had said that "shedding of human blood and incitement to violence was never the answer to any situation", recalling that history had taught that "violence begets violence", Dawn reported.

"The real fight is about fighting against the root of the festering problem, not in just responding to the symptoms. Why has the selected government not bothered to implement the National Action Plan, or even discuss arising challenges in parliament?" Bilawal questioned. He condemned the violence and expressed grief over the deaths of the TLP workers as well as policemen during clashes earlier in the week, which he said occurred because of the government's "inability to handle the situation peacefully".

TLP has recently been banned by the Pakistan government after violent protests following the arrest of their chief Saad Hussain Rizvi in Lahore on April 12. TLP Pakistan is a hardline religious group with a massive following across Pakistan. TLP is demanding that the French ambassador be sent home and import of goods from France be banned over blasphemous caricatures published in French magazine Charlie Hebdo. (ANI)

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