Pakistan law minister resigns, ceding to Islamists’ demand
By Associated Press
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s law minister has resigned, caving in to Islamist protesters who have been demanding his ouster in a three-week-long rally near Islamabad.
Monday’s development comes after negotiations with the rally organizers went nowhere.
Security forces held back from dispersing the protesters on Sunday, after a crackdown the previous day left six dead.
Zahid Hamid’s resignation will likely pave the way for supporters of the Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah party, which is behind the protest, to peacefully disband their sit-in at a key intersection on the edge of the Pakistani capital.
The Islamists demanded Hamid’s resignation over an omitted reference to Islam’s Prophet Muhammad in a parliamentary bill. He had earlier apologized for the omission in the bill, saying it was a clerical error that was later corrected.
