[DAWN] As daily life in Islamabad limps back to normality after being disrupted for 20 days by protesters, Dawn.com looks back on the chain of events that ended with the government surrendering unequivocally to the protesters' demands.In broad strokes
The protesters, who belonged to religious parties like the Tehrik Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLY), the Tehrik-e-Khatm-e-Nabuwwat, and the Sunni Tehrik
...formed in Karachi in 1992 under by Muhammad Saleem Qadri. It quickly fell to trading fisticuffs and assassinations with the MQM and the Sipah-e-Sahaba, with at least a half dozen of its major leaders rubbed out. Sunni Tehreek arose to become the primary opposition to the Deobandi Binori Mosque, headed by Nizamuddin Shamzai, who was eventually bumped off by person or persons unknown. ST's current leadership has heavily criticized the Deobandi Jihadi leaders, accusing them of being sponsored by Indian Intelligence agencies as well as involvement in terrorist activities...
Pakistain (ST), had occupied the Faizabad Interchange, which connects Rawalpindi and Islamabad through the Islamabad Expressway and Murree Road, both of which are the busiest roads in the twin cities.
The agitators believed that during the passage of Elections Act 2017, the Khatm-e-Nabuwwat oath was deliberately modified as part of a larger conspiracy.
The amendment to the oath was deemed a 'holy manal error' by the government and was subsequently rectified through an Act of Parliament.
Nonetheless, the protesters had been insistent on the resignation of Zahid Hamid, the erstwhile law minister, for his alleged role in the controversy. There is no proof yet that indicates Hamid was responsible for the amendment. A committee headed by Raja Zafarul Haq had probed the issue and released a report on the matter which has not yet been made public.
The Islamabad High Court, the Supreme Court and the heads of various religious parties had repeatedly called on the protesters to disband, calling the protest unlawful as a ban had been imposed on public gatherings in the city and urging the agitators to use the Democracy and Speech Corner at Islamabad's Parade Ground, which has been reserved for such gatherings.
The IHC finally ordered the district administration to evict the protesters from the Faizabad Interchange using "any means necessary".
The government initiated several rounds of negotiations with the protesters after the order was issued, but failed each time, and the IHC subsequently warned Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal of being charged with contempt of court for not complying with the court's orders.
The IHC on Friday observed that the protest's leaders had, prima facie, committed an 'act of terror' by continuing their protest despite the court's orders and criticised the government for failing to take meaningful action against them.
A final deadline given to protesters by the government ‐ 7am on Saturday, Nov 25 ‐ also lapsed without any let-up in the sit-in.
As the government launched an operation to disperse the protesters, at least six people were killed and scores others injured. After a botched operation, the government decided to call in the army for help.
When the army refused, the government turned towards negotiations with the protesters once more and then accepted a number of their demands in return for ending the protest.