Pakistan: Anti-terrorism court case against TLP leaders postponed indefinitely /update 1

Event

On Monday, April 16, an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad indefinitely postponed hearings in cases against Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi and others. Charges against Rizvi were filed for his role in leading the sit-in at the Faizabad interchange last year and the indirect death of a child. The decision comes against the backdrop of recent negotiations between protesting TLP leaders in Lahore and the Punjab government. The TLP had called off protests after receiving assurances from the government on Friday, April 13, that the cases would be dropped and the Faizabad agreement would be implemented. It is currently unclear if or when the hearings will be rescheduled.

Context

Rizvi was charged with the death of a young child after the sit-in he led at the Faizabad interchange in 2017 blocked roads and prevented the child from being able to travel to the hospital to seek treatment. Additionally, protests that broke out as a result of the sit-in resulted in violence against at least one TV crew.

TLP launched protests across several cities on April 12 to demand the full implementation of the Faizabad agreement, which followed a series of violent protests and clashes between the Islamist protesters and the government in November 2017. The Islamabad protests were spearheaded by Islamist protesters demanding the removal of the Pakistani federal law minister, Zahid Hamid, for his alleged revision of an oath (Khatm-i-Nabuwwat), which testifies that the Prophet Muhammad is the final prophet in Islam in a constitutional bill (Elections Act 2017). The revision to the oath was reversed and proclaimed by Pakistani officials to have been a clerical error before Hamid was removed from office as part of the agreement, along with other TLP demands.

Advice

Individuals in Pakistan are advised to avoid all public gatherings due to the risk of violence and to monitor developments to the situation.