ISLAMABAD, Nov 4: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has admitted that the government’s recent agreement with the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan to end protest was “firefighting” and not a permanent solution to the larger problem of extremism.
“We had two options: either to use force, and when you use force people can be killed. That is not something a state should do. We tried negotiations and (in) negotiations you take something and you leave something,” Chaudhry told in an interview with BBC, Dawn reported.
Chaudhry, however, defended his Government against allegations it was bowing down to extremists.
“We need to take steps against extremism, we need to take steps against such kind of violent protesters and we need to come up with a permanent solution,” he told. “Right now this is not a cure.
This is firefighting, what we are doing,” he said, adding that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government was committed to the cure, which is “the real thing”.
“Our Government was committed to coming up with a permanent solution to tackle violent protests in the country,” he claimed. His remarks came a day after the Government reached a written agreement with protest leaders to end the nationwide sit-ins.
Protests had erupted in several cities after the Supreme Court on Wednesday acquitted Asia Bibi, a Christian woman on death row since 2010 when she was convicted on blasphemy charges.
The protests paralysed routine life in major cities, causing severe road blockages in major cities and resulting in severe mobility issues for citizens. But, despite Prime Minister Imran Khan’s stern warning to agitators against challenging the state earlier in the week, the government reached a five-point agreement with TLP late Friday night to end the protests. (UNI)
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