LAHORE: The Shahbaz government got second success in as many days on Sunday in placating religious elements when Pir Hameed­uddin Sialvi agreed to defer the demand for resignation of Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah.

The demand was put off after Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif approached the Pir from Sargodha and assured him of addressing his reservations regarding the remarks the law minister had made about a religious minority in a TV talk show.

On Friday the government had managed to win over the Dr Asif Jalali-led Tehreek Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah, which had been calling for resignation of the minister by staging a sit-in outside the Punjab Assembly on The Mall since the security operation against the Khadim Rizvi-led faction was launched in Islamabad.

Pir Sialvi’s reservations about Rana Sanaullah’s remarks to be addressed

Mr Rizvi had ended his 20-day sit-in last Monday, but only after mediation by army high-ups and with the resignation of the then federal law minister Zahid Hamid for his alleged failure to check in time changes made in the Khatm-i-Nubuwat declaration made by election candidates through the recently approved Election Act-2017.

“I would personally look into the matter and the exercise requires a reasonable time-frame,” Mr Shahbaz was quoted as saying in his telephonic talk with Pir Sialvi, who holds sway among voters in around a dozen National Assembly constituencies of central Punjab.

The chief minister was also quoted as saying in a press release that he would himself visit Pir Sialvi in Sial Sharif to apprise the spiritual leader of his findings on the issue.

Nizamuddin Sialvi, an MPA who is one of the 14 parliamentarians who have reportedly submitted their resignations to the spiritual leader to show their support for the demand for Rana Sana’s removal, confirmed that Pir Sialvi had agreed to put off his demand on Mr Shahbaz’s assurance.

Punjab Religious Affairs Minister Zaeem Hussain Qadri had called on Pir Sialvi a couple of days ago and assured him that Rana Sana would appear before the latter to clarify his words and to again recite the Kalima and would resign if he failed to satisfy the religious leader.

Satisfying Pir Sialvi was also one of the conditions set by Dr Jalali for calling off the protest.

Rana Sana, a trusted lieutenant of the chief minister, was to visit Sargodha for the purpose on Sunday but the visit was reportedly cancelled following Mr Shahbaz’s intervention.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2017