As thousands of protestors march towards Islamabad raising the security threat in the country, the Pakistan government said it is negotiating with the detained leader of a radical Islamist party, responsible for the protest, to end the rally.
Briefing the media after a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) convened by Prime Minister Imran Khan, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said the government wanted to "amicably" resolve the matter of the protest march, which has disrupted life in several Punjab cities for two weeks, Dawn reported.
Meanwhile, members of proscribed Tehreek-i- Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) resumed their march from Gujranwala on Friday.
Participants of the protest march spent the night near the General Bus Stand on the Grand Trunk Road and resumed their rally in the morning, despite Interior Minister's Thursday night warning to the TLP to call off its march or face "consequences".
The rally, which comprises around 5,000 participants, reached the Gujrat-Chenab toll plaza after stopping at Rahwali to offer Friday prayers. A heavy police contingent was deployed at the toll plaza.
A senior official earlier told Dawn that the next TLP-police encounter was expected at two major security points that had been established at Chenab and Jhelum rivers, the only route for the march to reach Islamabad.
Rashid said it was also expected that Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri would talk to the TLP leadership again.
Referring to one of the TLP's demands, the minister said the government had taken the matter of the French ambassador's expulsion to the parliament, adding that the opposition would not vote in favour of such a move.
He noted that TLP protesters were heading to Islamabad for the seventh time. "People are facing difficulties, the demonstrators should review their stance," he said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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