ISLAMABAD (DNA) – Federal Interior Ministry on Saturday has directed the local administration to postpone operation against religious parties, who are staging sit-in in Faizabad area, for another 24 hours.

Ultimatum of Islamabad High Court (IHC) given to protesters in the federal capital belonging to Tehreek Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah and Sunni Tehreek has expired at 10:00pm on Friday after which contingents of Pakistan Rangers and Frontier Corps (FC) have been deployed at the sit-in site for operation.

The administration has ordered police to remain on high-alert and some of the entry points of Islamabad have been blocked using containers.

Residents of Faizabad and Sector I-8 have also been ordered to stay in houses and avoid inter-city movement while the protesters were also offered an alternate place to record their peaceful protest.

Workers of religious parties, who camped in the outskirts of the federal capital in late October, have demanded law minister Zahid Hamid to step down following a ‘clerical mistake’ in amendments brought in Elections Act 2017 earlier this year.

In the new form-A, the words “I solemnly swear” have been replaced with “I believe” and the clause relating to Khatm-i-Naboowat has not been made applicable to non-Muslim candidates.