TLP ends Faizabad sit-in after govt assures of stepping up Gaza aid

The Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) on Friday announced an end to its week-long protest in Islamabad after government negotiators reached an understanding with party leaders, calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "terrorist and war criminal".

The government negotiators also accepted another of their demands, assuring that it would ramp up efforts to help out Palestinians, who have been facing Israeli atrocities since the clash began in October last year.

The TLP's decision came this afternoon after the incumbent government engaged them in successful negotiations.

Before the TLP started its protest sit-in at Faizabad Interchange almost a week ago, the party's activists, led by their top leader Saad Rizvi, took out a protest rally from Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi to Faizabad last Saturday.

The TLP, in their demands, asked the PML-N-led government to officially boycott Israeli products and send food and medical aid to Palestinians, especially those suffering from Israel's relentless military aggression in Gaza. One of their demands was that Pakistan’s government declare Israeli PM Netanyahu a “terrorist.”

"The federal government will continue and boost its efforts to help the Muslims of Palestine and the TLP people will assist the government for the purpose," Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah said, flanked by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and TLP leaders.

"A shipment of goods comprising fruits and medicines weighing more than 1,000 tonnes will be dispatched to Palestine before July 31," Sanaullah said.

He added that Israel emerged as a terrorist state and PM Netanyahu committed war crimes against innocent citizens.

"The Israeli PM is committing war crimes in his personal capacity," the PM's adviser said, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had condemned Israeli atrocities in Palestine during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held earlier this month in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana.

The government will push ahead in its condemnation of Israel in the future as well, he said, adding that the government would seek to tap into every resource possible to extend assistance to people in Gaza as well as condemn the Zionist state and its head of government involved in terrorism against innocent Palestinians.

"Netanyahu is a terrorist who has perpetrated war crimes," the former security czar said, calling on the comity of nations to bring the Israeli PM to task.

He ALSO called on world leaders, particularly the Muslim world, to play their due role in the resolution of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Palestine.

In their talks with the TLP leaders, the government negotiators have also decided that the government will boycott the products of Israeli companies and the companies that are directly or indirectly involved in the barbarism being committed in Palestine.

The government also decided to form a committee that will ascertain the details of companies and products that Pakistanis consume without knowing their truth.

The weeklong protest posed serious traffic problems to the residents of the twin cities as the TLP workers in large numbers remained camped at Faizabad Interchange, a main traffic junction linking the two cities.

The sit-in brought vehicular traffic to a complete halt between Murree and Rawalpindi, as well as Peshawar and Lahore. The activists effectively also blocked the Islamabad Expressway, which caused massive gridlocks in the area, leaving commuters facing troubles for hours at a stretch.