TLP ends protest outside Lahore's Masjid Rehmatulil Alameen

• Banned TLP calls off Lahore protest after government presents resolution in parliament to debate French envoy's expulsion.
• TLP spokesperson Shafiq Amini says "no further need" of any protests after resolution presented.
• Claims there have been "positive" developments on other demands made by the banned outfit.
  

The proscribed Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has ended its protest outside its Masjid Rehmatulil Alameen headquarters in Lahore.

The sit-in, which began on April 12 after the arrest of the banned outfit's chief Saad Rizvi, draws the curtains on a tragic week which saw the deaths and kidnapping of several policemen, injuries to hundreds in clashes between protesters and law enforcement, and road blockages as the protests spread to major cities of Pakistan.

According to Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry, a final deal between the TLP and the government was struck today, following which the promise to present a resolution in parliament to discuss whether or not the French envoy must be sent back was fulfilled.

The TLP has demanded the French ambassador to Pakistan be expelled after French President Emmanuel Macron defended the right of Charlie Hebdo magazine to republish blasphemous cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

The parliament passed a resolution today to form a special committee to discuss the matter of the expulsion and the debate will continue in the National Assembly on Friday.

Meanwhile, Shafiq Amini, who was leading the talks from the TLP side, made the announcement of the protest ending, with members of the shura (council) also present.

"The government made good on its promise by presenting the resolution in parliament," Amini said. "Now we do not need to protest any further."

He said protests in Lahore, as well as all other places, had been called off.

As the announcement was made, roads outside the site of the main sit-in in Lahore, were opened to traffic. The workers of the banned outfit began to disperse.

Speaking of the other demands put forth by the party to the government, Amini claimed there had been "positive" developments on those fronts as well.

He said the central leadership was reviewing all the progress made.

Amini called on all workers to keep the peace. He noted that through the use of false propaganda on social media, there is an attempt to incite violence.