LAHORE: The Punjab Cabinet Committee on Law and Order on Wednesday worked out a plan to take the proscribed title of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) off as a part of confidence-building measures in the aftermath of the federal government-TLP agreement, contents of which are still unknown in the public domain.

The federal government’s steering committee led by state minister Ali Muhammad Khan has already finalised modalities to offer relief to the TLP and its leadership and sort out the looming law and order and economic crisis.

In a build-up to the government-TLP agreement, the cabinet committee met under the chairmanship of Punjab Law Minister Basharat Raja on Wednesday and finalised the recommendation for chief minister’s approval and onward submission to the federal government.

Read more: Government, TLP ink deal to end impasse

“The committee discussed and okayed a plan to remove proscription title imposed on the TLP. The committee will submit its recommendation to the chief minister within 36 hours,” a source in the committee meeting told Dawn. The chief minister will eventually submit the Punjab government’s recommendation to the federal government for a final decision.

Since steering committee convener Mr Khan has already stated that the TLP activists detained by the police have been released as part of the agreement, the cabinet committee decided to give relief to the TLP activists included in the Fourth Schedule on fast track, as soon as they will apply to their respective deputy commissioners or the Punjab home department.

Sources say the cabinet committee decided that the Punjab government would not oppose or resist, if the TLP activists in jail, apply for their bail. However, sources say, the TLP activists booked under heinous charges including ATA sections would not be given any relief. Such activists would depend on the decisions of courts concerned.

Speaking to Dawn, Mr Raja said the cabinet committee agreed that the trust deficit between the government and the TLP should be reduced. He said the matter of Saad Rizvi’s detention before the LHC would be rendered infructuous as the detention period as per the notification had expired. He said the detention matter would be taken up by a federal review board on Nov 6.

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2021