ISLAMABAD: Federal interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told a news conference on Tuesday the government was willing to accept all the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party’s demands but it was not in a position to shut down the French embassy or expel its ambassador.
Thousands of workers and supporters of the banned TLP religious faction decided to march on Islamabad on Friday, seeking the release of their top leader, Saad Rizvi, and demanding the expulsion of the French envoy to Pakistan over the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) published in France last year.
The government formed a committee to negotiate with the group and pacify the situation while asking the TLP leaders to review their demand regarding the expulsion of the European envoy.
“The top issue of the TLP leadership is the closure of the French embassy and expulsion of the French ambassador,” Ahmed said while addressing the news conference, adding: “Pakistani security forces, its institutions and democratic government are on the same page and they have decided that all [of the TLP] demands are legitimate except for the one that relates to the French diplomatic mission.”
He said fulfilling the TLP demand could create significant problems for Pakistan that is already facing tough economic circumstances.
The minister urged Saad Rizvi and the consultative body of his religious faction to deliberate over the issue more carefully.
“We want them to review their demand,” he said.
Ahmed informed that Pakistan was also planning a conference of the foreign ministers of various Muslim countries, adding that the government did not want any unpleasant circumstances to emerge right ahead of that event.
Founded in 2015, the TLP religious group has made the sanctity of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) central to its politics.
Its leadership has also opposed any amendments to the country’s blasphemy laws and tried to put the government under pressure to adopt a more aggressive posture toward France after the repeated publication of the anti-Islam caricatures.
Pakistan refuses to expel French ambassador, asks banned religious group to review its demand
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Pakistan refuses to expel French ambassador, asks banned religious group to review its demand
- Interior minister says military and civilian institutions agree expelling French envoy would create economic problems for Pakistan
- Urges TLP leader Saad Rizvi and the consultative body of his religious party to review their demand "more carefully"
Pakistan calls for regional cooperation against climate-driven disasters after Sri Lanka cyclone
- Maritime affairs minister says Pakistani rescue teams are already on the ground supporting Sri Lanka’s recovery
- Junaid Anwar Chaudhry is on a two-day visit to Colombo to express Pakistan’s solidarity with Sri Lankan people
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday urged South Asian countries to strengthen cooperation against climate-driven disasters after a deadly cyclone battered Sri Lanka, saying the scale and frequency of extreme weather demanded coordinated regional action.
Cyclone Ditwah made landfall on the island nation on Nov. 28, triggering severe flooding and landslides that destroyed homes and infrastructure.
Sri Lankan authorities say the storm has killed more than 600 people, left hundreds missing and displaced over two million across dozens of districts, making it one of the country’s worst natural disasters in years.
“We deeply admire the quick actions taken by the Sri Lankan government and the courage shown by the affected communities,” Pakistan’s Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, who is on a two-day visit to Colombo, said during a media briefing, according to a statement.
“As I speak to you, Pakistani teams and rescue personnel are on the ground helping to save lives and support relief operations.”
He said Pakistan had dispatched a humanitarian aid package on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s directives and that its high commission and disaster-response authorities were coordinating closely with Sri Lankan officials to ensure timely delivery of supplies.
Chaudhry used the visit to call for expanded regional collaboration on early-warning systems, disaster management and maritime safety.
Reaffirming Islamabad’s solidarity, the minister added: “Pakistan stands with Sri Lanka as a reliable friend and partner today and always.”
He also invited Sri Lankan media representatives to visit Pakistan and engage with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs to strengthen people-to-people ties and deepen bilateral cooperation.
