ISLAMABAD: Following the voluntary resignation of Federal Law Minister Zahid Hamid, the government and Faizabad protesters have reached an agreement to end the sit-in, sources said.
Leaders of the religious parties are expected to make the official announcement to end the sit-in shortly.
According to the agreement, an inquiry board will be set up within 30 days so that action can be taken against those responsible for the amendment to the Finality of Prophethood declaration for electoral candidates in the Elections Act 2017.
The agreement also includes the condition that the arrested workers of the religious parties will have to be released and cases against them dismissed.
Late on Sunday, the law minister voluntarily stepped down. Hamid tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, which is expected to be accepted later today.
The protesters’ first demand was the resignation of the law minister.
The decision comes in the wake of the protests that continue across the country, following Saturday’s crackdown by the police and paramilitary personnel on Islamabad sit-in staged by a religious group.
The government tried to negotiate with the protesters while refusing the demand for the resignation of the law minister, but all the talks of negotiations were unsuccessful until Hamid tendered his resignation.
“In order to restore peace in the country, I have decided to step down from my position,” said Hamid.
Senator Raja Zafar-ul-Haq is heading the committee formed earlier by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Nawaz Sharif to fix the responsibility for the introduction of the controversial amendment to the Finality of Prophethood declaration for electoral candidates.
Besides Haq, Federal Minister for Interior Affairs Ahsan Iqbal and Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan are also part of the committee.
The committee was formed on October 7 to probe the issue as it had attracted backlash from various quarters, even though the mistake was rectified soon after the amendment was made.
The committee headed by the senator is expected to present a report related to the controversial amendment to the court.
