Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday categorically ruled out accepting any unlawful demand of a religious group that has been blocking Islamabad’s Faizabad for nearly three weeks.

“We have already strengthened the finality of prophethood law in consultation with all political parties,” Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said. He said that the government would not accept any illegal demand from the leader of the protest.

Religious parties have been holding a sit-in at Faizabad Interchange in Islamabad to demand the ouster of Federal Law Minister Zahid Hamid.

The government blamed clerical error for the changes and corrected the bill. “If we accept their illegal demands, more will be coming here with new demands,” he argued.

He said that the government would not surrender to the protesters who have camped in the capital for nearly a month as it would set a precedent.

Iqbal said that the protesters were using the controversy over Khatm-e-Nabuwwat for political gains. The minister said that all the Muslims of Pakistan were guardians of Khatm-e-Nabuwwat.

He said that to divide the nation was against the spirit of Khatm-e-Nabuwwat. He alleged that the protesting bodies belonging to the right wing are using the clause pertaining to Khatm-e-Nabuwwat for political gains by inciting the people.

While talking about demand of the protesters to have Law Minister Zahid Hamid resign, the interior minister said that law was not put forth by him but the parliamentary committee. “The law minister presented the law as per the code and put forth an even improved form of it,” he added.

Ahsan Iqbal reiterated that the government would not accept demand of the protesters about resignation of the law minister. He said that the sit-in did not arise from the controversial amendment but from a political agenda.

The federal minister claimed that the protesting bodies aimed to weaken the ruling party by having Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and people face to face causing loss to its vote bank ahead of General Elections 2018.

The minister further cleared that legal demands could be talked about and that the government did not wish for any coercive clash.

The interior minister said that Election Act 2017 was adopted in consultation with all political parties. He warned that those holding a sit-in at Faizabad wanted bodies. “We can disperse the crowd within two hours, but who will guarantee that there will be no violence,” he said.

Published in Daily Times, November 24^th 2017.