Use of force against Faizabad Interchange protesters last option: Talal Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry on Friday the usage of force against the protesters staging a sit-in at Faizabad Interchange is the last option. 

Chaudhry passed the remarks during a session of the Senate's standing committee on interior. 

He added that many options to resolve the situation have been used and the routes will be cleared soon. 

Chaudhry admitted that the government was deceived by the protestors as the representatives of the religious parties had promised, when travelling to Islamabad from Lahore, that they would leave after offering prayers but later refused 

The minister of state for interior further said that 14 cases have been registered against the protestors. 

Islamabad protesters issued last warning after defying court orders to disperse

Two religious parties have been camped at Faizabad Interchange for over a week

The chair of the committee, Senator Rehman Malik, also instructed the federal government and the Ministry of Interior to clear the routes and disperse the protestors in three days and also to submit a report regarding the sit-in. 

Chief Commissioner Islamabad Zulfiqar Haider told the committee that negotiations with the protestors have taken place on political, religious and administrative levels but the protestors have not changed their stance. 

Earlier today, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) took notice of the non-implementation of its earlier orders directing the dislodging of the protest sit-in at Faizabad Interchange.

Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui directed the authorities to vacate the key route from the protesters by 10am Saturday.

Following Friday's court order, the district administration called a meeting in which it decided to give the protesters a 'last chance', according to sources. 

It was decided that the protesters will be given until 10pm tonight to disperse on their own. In case of a refusal, the government has put on alert the police as well as paramilitary forces.   

Supporters of religious parties have occupied the capital’s key junction as part of their protest against the change in the Khatam-e-Nabuwat (Finality of Prophethood) related clauses in the country’s electoral laws.

They have demanded the resignation of Law Minister Zahid Hamid and other officials responsible for what the government termed a ‘clerical mistake’.