LAHORE: Pakistan removed Islamist leader Saad Rizvi from its terrorism watchlist on Thursday, paving the way for his release from detention under a deal to end weeks of deadly protests by his followers over an alleged blasphemy.
The move came a week after the government agreed to free 2,000 detained members of his Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) movement, lifted a ban on the group and agreed to let it contest elections.
In return, the TLP has agreed to shun the politics of violence and withdraw a demand to have France's ambassador expelled over the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by a French magazine, negotiators have said.
The TLP took to the streets in mid-October, kicking off weeks of protests and clashes that killed at least seven policemen, injured scores on both sides and blocked the country's busiest highway.
At the height of the violence, Prime Minister Imran Khan's government banned the TLP, designated it a terrorist group and arrested Rizvi.
A government notification seen by Reuters said the TLP chief Saad Rizvi's name was "hereby deleted" from the terrorism watchlist after authorities lifted the ban.
It did not go into further details and the government and the interior ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. But legal experts said a removal from the watchlist would be a legal prerequisite for any release.
The TLP, which can mobilize thousands of supporters, was born in 2015 out of a protest campaign to seek the release of a police guard who assassinated a provincial governor in 2011 over his calls to reform blasphemy legislation.
It entered politics in 2017 and surprised the political elite by securing more than 2 million votes in the 2018 election.
The next national election is scheduled for 2023, and analysts expect political groups to start gearing up from early next year.
Pakistan takes Tehreek-e-Labbaik leader off terrorism list under deal to end protests
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Pakistan takes Tehreek-e-Labbaik leader off terrorism list under deal to end protests
- Experts say a removal from the watchlist can be a legal prerequisite for Saad Rizvi's release from prison
- The TLP was born in 2015 out of a protest campaign to seek the release of a police guard who assassinated a provincial governor in 2011
Sri Lanka players ask to leave Pakistan after bombing, board says no
- Sri Lanka are playing three ODIs followed by T20 tri-nation series in Pakistan this month
- Suicide bombing in Islamabad on Tuesday made Sri Lankan players fear for security
Some Sri Lanka cricketers requested to return home from their Pakistan tour on Wednesday for safety reasons after a suicide bombing in Islamabad, but their board issued a stern directive to stay put or face consequences.
Sri Lanka are touring Pakistan, playing three one-day internationals followed by a Twenty20 tri-series along with Zimbabwe this month. Sri Lanka are scheduled to play Pakistan in the second ODI on Thursday in Rawalpindi.
But the bombing, which killed 12 people in Pakistan's capital Islamabad, made several Sri Lankan players ask to go home, the Sri Lanka Cricket board said in a statement. Rawalpindi and Islamabad are twin cities hardly 20 km (12 miles) apart.
"SLC immediately engaged with the players and assured them that all such concerns are being duly addressed in close coordination with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the relevant authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of every member of the touring party," the SLC said.
'CONTINUE WITH TOUR'
"In this context, SLC has instructed all players, support staff and team management to continue with the tour as scheduled," SLC added.
Any player who returns despite the directive will be replaced immediately to avoid disrupting the tour, it said.
If anyone does that, however, "a formal review will be conducted to assess their actions, and an appropriate decision will be made upon the conclusion of the review."
SLC did not respond to a question on the number of players and staff who requested to return home.
Pakistan had been struggling to convince sports teams to visit the country after gunmen attacked a bus carrying touring Sri Lanka cricket players in the city of Lahore in 2009.
At least six players were injured, and visits by international teams came to a halt as Pakistan played their "home" matches in the United Arab Emirates.
But security has improved since then in major urban centers and test cricket returned when Sri Lanka toured in 2019.
In this series, Pakistan won the first ODI, which was also held in Rawalpindi, by six runs on Tuesday.
