In his address to the nation on Monday, Prime Minister Imran Khan said whether the expulsion of the French ambassador would end the blasphemy issue.
He added, “How illogical is that the crime was committed in another state but we set our own house on fire”.
Imran Khan said that the government was engaged in dialogue with banned TLP for the past four months but it was learned that the party was planning to reach Islamabad for a sit-in. Therefore, TLP chief Saad Rizvi was arrested.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noor-ul-Haq Qadri and Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid would hold dialogue with banned TLP post Maghrib prayers which is supposed to be the last round of negotiation before the April 20 deadline of long march by TLP.
Earlier, at least two people were killed and 15 policemen and several others were injured after clashes between banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) activists and Lahore police on Sunday.
The police officials said that six police personnel were abducted by unruly workers of the banned party. A police DSP was also among those kidnapped whose video message under hostage also went viral on the internet.
Punjab police officials said TLP workers launched an attack on the Nawan Kot police station in Lahore.
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The police said TLP activists kidnapped police personnel and took them to the TLP headquarters.
— Punjab Police Official (@OfficialDPRPP) April 18, 2021
Meanwhile, TLP is also adamant to take out a long march on Islamabad on April 20.
The religious party has recently been banned after a round of clashes between the police and its workers following the arrest of its chief, Saad Rizvi.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said the government believed in dialogue but could not be blackmailed through violence.
“حکومت مذاکرات پر یقین رکھتی ہے لیکن بلیک میل نہیں ہوں گے۔ لاہور میں پولیس اور رینجرز اہلکاروں کو اغواء کیا گیا جس پر آپریشن ہوا۔”
وفاقی وزیر اطلاعات چوہدری فواد حسین۔۔۔@fawadchaudhry pic.twitter.com/nBd4YgEdOH— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) April 18, 2021
He added that the government tried solving things through dialogues first.
In a statement issued, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said that the government was trying to resolve matters amicably and starting dialogues with TLP.
The development following the ban on TLP has worsened the law and order situation during the holy month of Ramazan.
This was the first attack launched by a mob on a police station and it is expected that more clashes would take place as TLP has vowed to take out its scheduled long march on Islamabad on April 20.
During multi-day protests last week by TLP activists, five people including two policemen were killed and 340 police personnel were injured in the clashes.