LAHORE: The Punjab home department on Thursday sent a summary to Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar for the revocation of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP)’s proscribed status.
According to a statement by the provincial home department, the summary has been forwarded to the chief minister after formal approval was accorded by the Punjab cabinet’s sub-committee on law and order.
After approval from the chief minister and the provincial cabinet, the federal government will be moved to do away with TLP’s proscribed status, said the home department.
Earlier today, in compliance with a secretive deal between the government and the proscribed TLP, the Punjab government decided to remove the names of at least 90 activists of the proscribed outfit from the fourth schedule.
The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Law Minister Punjab Raja Basharat in Lahore.
The meeting also decided to release 100 more activists of the proscribed organisation from different jails in the province. It reviewed the decisions taken by the steering committee formed to deal with all TLP-related matters.
Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Rao Sardar Ali Khan, Additional Chief Secretary Home Zafar Nasrullah and others were present in the meeting.
What is the fourth schedule?
The fourth schedule is a section of the Anti-Terrorism Act under which someone who is suspected of terrorism is kept under observation. The list is referred to the police and other law enforcers for effective monitoring. If a fourth scheduler wants to move somewhere, he/she has to inform their nearby police station. The list also includes people suspected of involvement in anti-state activities and delivering hate speeches.
Govt decides to withdraw appeal against Saad Rizvi’s release
On November 2, the government began implementing the accord with TLP, with reports suggesting that it had released more than 800 supporters of the party arrested across Punjab.
The government signed an accord with the proscribed outfit last Sunday, under which workers of the organisation who are not facing any formal criminal charges were to be released. The amnesty will also extend to the party’s top leader, Saad Rizvi.
Implementation of the agreement started after a Monday meeting of the steering committee formed by Prime Minister Imran Khan to work out how the deal would be executed.
