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 backs peace efforts in Yemen, warns factions on ground against unilateral actions
- Foreign office reaffirms Pakistan’s firm commitment to Yemen’s unity and territorial integrity
- Pakistani administration also expresses solidarity with Saudi Arabia amid regional tensions
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Thursday said it welcomed regional efforts to ease tensions in Yemen and strongly opposed unilateral actions by any faction on the ground that could undermine peace or regional stability.
The development takes place after the Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen said it carried out a “limited” airstrike on Dec. 30, targeting two shipments of smuggled weapons and military equipment sent from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) port of Fujairah to Mukalla in southern Yemen.
Addressing a weekly news briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi reiterated support and firm commitment to the unity and territorial integrity of Yemen.
“In this regard, Pakistan strongly opposes unilateral steps by any Yemeni party that may further escalate the situation, undermine peace efforts and threaten peace and stability of Yemen, as well as that of the region,” he said.
“Pakistan welcome regional efforts for de-escalation of the situation in maintaining peace and stability in Yemen.”
Andrabi highlighted that Pakistan supported a peaceful resolution in Yemen through dialogue and diplomacy, hoping that Yemenis and regional powers work together toward an “inclusive and lasting settlement.”
On Wednesday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed “complete solidarity” with Saudi Arabia during a phone call with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman following Riyadh’s weapon shipment bombing in Yemen.
The Saudi airstrike on a UAE shipment in Yemen’s southern port city of Mukalla followed rising tensions linked to advances by the Emirates-backed Southern Transitional Council in the war-torn country.
Saudi Arabia, a major oil supplier to Pakistan, has provided billions in loans to help manage its economic crisis. The two countries have also signed a mutual defense pact last September, treating an attack on one as an attack on both.
