Law Minister Zahid Hamid Steps Down In Pakistan Over Clashes

Islamabad: Pakistan Law Minister Zahid Hamid resigned on Monday following deadly clashes between the police and protesters of various "religious" parties, media reports said.

The resignation came as part of an agreement reached between the government and the protesters late Sunday night, reports Dawn news. The agreement followed after a two-day face-off at Faizabad Interchange and other parts of the country between protesters and security forces that saw at least six people killed and hundreds injured.

Following the agreement, the protest leaders were likely to announce an end to the sit-in at a press conference later on Monday. The minister on Sunday night presented his resignation to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to bring the country "out of a state of crisis".

Abbasi is expected to accept the minister's resignation later in the day, informed sources told Dawn news. The protesters that gathered in Faizabad were from the groups Tehreek-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat, Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLY) and the Sunni Tehreek Pakistan (ST). They called for Hamid's sacking and strict action against those behind the amendment to the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat oath in the Elections Act 2017 - which had earlier been deemed a "clerical error".

The government later retracted the amendment. On Sunday, the government deployed the Punjab Rangers to handle the agitated protesters in Faizabad and other parts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Around 1,000 Rangers personnel were deployed in Islamabad.

IANS