Sheikh Rashid cuts short UAE visit after Lahore violence

Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed returned to Pakistan Saturday morning in the wake of a prevailing security situation in the country.

Islamabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi were partially closed over separate protests held by opposition parties and banned Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan.

The interior minister was in UAE to watch the much-hyped Pakistan-India T20 World Cup match on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters a few days earlier, Rasheed had said PM Imran Khan had approved his request for a two-day holiday to watch the game live in the UAE.

However, the prime minister urged the interior minister to return to the country to tackle the law and order situation in Pakistan. The minister arrived in Islamabad via the Airblue flight PA-213 from Sharjah today.

A day earlier, Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar had announced that the provincial government had decided to form a committee to negotiate with the proscribed organisation as the outfit staged protests to demand the release of their leader Saad Rizvi.

Buzdar had made the announcement regarding the government’s decision to hold talks with the banned outfit on Twitter.

“We have formed a committee, consisting of senior members of the Punjab Cabinet Raja Basharat and Chaudhry Zaheeruddin to negotiate with the banned organisation.” Buzdar had written.

“According to the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PUBH), we all need to work together for peace and harmony in the country,” he had said.