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The government had called the session to debate the French envoy’s expulsion, and a PTI lawmaker presented a resolution in this regard. However, before a vote could take place on the resolution, the speaker announced the formation of a special committee to discuss the matter and asked the government and the opposition to engage with each other to develop consensus on the issue.
At the start of the session, PTI lawmaker Amjid Ali Khan moved a resolution condemning the publication of blasphemous caricatures by French magazine Charlie Hebdo in September last year. It also regretted the French’s president “encouragement of the elements hurting the sentiments of the hundreds of millions of Muslims in the name of freedom of expression”.
The resolution asked for a debate to be held on the issue of expelling the French ambassador from Pakistan, and to “apprise all European countries, especially France, of the gravity of this matter”. It further said detailed discussions on the matter should be held with all Muslim countries and it should be taken up jointly on international forums.
Earlier today, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said the government has decided to take the matter to Parliament after holding talks with the proscribed organisation.
The NA session was adjourned on April 19 (Monday) for April 22 (Thursday) at 2pm. But date was later changed and the session was scheduled for today instead.
The interior minister said that TLP had agreed to end protests across the country and talks will continue with it.
However, he said that cases registered against TLP workers under the fourth schedule will be withdrawn, adding that he will give a detailed briefing on the development in a press conference later today.
