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| Pakistan Islamists call off protests after minister resigns | Pakistan Islamists call off protests after minister resigns |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Pakistani Islamists who clashed with police at the weekend have called off national protests after the resignation of Law Minister Zahid Hamid. | Pakistani Islamists who clashed with police at the weekend have called off national protests after the resignation of Law Minister Zahid Hamid. |
| Reports from Islamabad and other cities say protesters are starting to leave. | Reports from Islamabad and other cities say protesters are starting to leave. |
| They have been blocking a main road in the capital for weeks demanding Mr Hamid be sacked for blasphemy. He apologised for what he called an error. | They have been blocking a main road in the capital for weeks demanding Mr Hamid be sacked for blasphemy. He apologised for what he called an error. |
| At least six people are believed to have been killed when clashes erupted on Saturday and some 200 were injured. | At least six people are believed to have been killed when clashes erupted on Saturday and some 200 were injured. |
| The civilian government is being criticised for backing down in the crisis, which raises new questions about the military's role in Pakistani politics. | The civilian government is being criticised for backing down in the crisis, which raises new questions about the military's role in Pakistani politics. |
| "On the assurance of the Chief of Army Staff, we are calling off the sit-in," protest leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi told several thousand demonstrators from the Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah Party in Islamabad on Monday. | "On the assurance of the Chief of Army Staff, we are calling off the sit-in," protest leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi told several thousand demonstrators from the Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah Party in Islamabad on Monday. |
| The law minister was accused by the protesters of blasphemy after a reference to the Prophet Muhammad was left out of a revised version of the electoral oath. | The law minister was accused by the protesters of blasphemy after a reference to the Prophet Muhammad was left out of a revised version of the electoral oath. |
| He called it a clerical error. | He called it a clerical error. |
| Protests against Mr Hamid had gone on for weeks and spread from Islamabad to other cities like Lahore, Peshawar and Karachi. | Protests against Mr Hamid had gone on for weeks and spread from Islamabad to other cities like Lahore, Peshawar and Karachi. |
| During Saturday's clashes, the government also suspended private news channels and blocked certain social media networks. | During Saturday's clashes, the government also suspended private news channels and blocked certain social media networks. |
| "The decision to resign was taken in a bid to steer the country out of the prevailing critical situation," Mr Hamid was quoted as saying by Pakistan's Tribune newspaper. | |
| According to the Dawn newspaper, the protesters have in turn agreed not to issue a fatwa, or Islamic religious ruling, against the minister. | According to the Dawn newspaper, the protesters have in turn agreed not to issue a fatwa, or Islamic religious ruling, against the minister. |
| The government gave way on a range of demands, including freeing arrested protesters and paying for the clean-up operation. | The government gave way on a range of demands, including freeing arrested protesters and paying for the clean-up operation. |