'Every agreement is signed with PM Imran Khan's consent': Fawad

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry Thursday said that every agreement signed by the government is done after the approval of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The statement was made at a private TV channel's show as Chaudhry refuted PTI Senator Faisal Vawda's statement about PM Iman Khan being uninformed about an agreement between proscribed Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and the government.

In conversation with the anchor of another private TV channel's programme, the senator had maintained that PM Imran Khan was unaware of the "developments" when he was asked about the government's motive behind agreeing to expel the French ambassador.

He said only Vawda would know why he assumed the prime minister was in the dark about the agreement and its provisions as he responded to the question that why Vawada would issue such a statement.

"Vawda is not part of the cabinet" so he might be unaware of the matter, he added.

Earlier on Wednesday, Vawda had said that the ministers who had entered into an agreement with the proscribed TLP should take responsibility for the ongoing situation instead of shifting its onus on the prime minister.

Taking to Twitter, the senator wrote that "force is not the solution to any conflict".

"An immediate solution to this problem can be found by inviting the imam of the Holy Ka'aba and the trustee of the Holy Shrine of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), and later all Muslim countries can come together to find a permanent solution to [such issues]," Vawda said.

The senator, however, deleted the tweet later.

'Govt will abide by agreement signed with proscribed organisation'

On the other hand, Federal Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, while addressing a press conference in Islamabad earlier, had said in response to a question that the government had signed an agreement with the proscribed organisation and it will abide by it.

He said the government tried holding talks with the TLP and kept its word, but "the TLP broke its promises."

"The government has to establish its writ as it is not happy about the loss of human lives," he had said.

The minister added that since the ambassador of France is not present in Pakistan, the proscribed organisation seems to have "another agenda" — as one of their demands from the government was the expulsion of the said envoy.

"The TLP has turned into a militant organisation as its members had opened fire on policemen using Kalashnikovs, leading to the martyrdom of four policemen."

"I am still warning protesters to return home," Rasheed said, adding that the government cannot keep schools and hospitals closed due to the protests.