Noted religious figure Mufti Muneebur Rehman made the formal announcement of an agreement between Tehrik-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) and the government to call off their protest march towards Islamabad, 24NewsTV channel reported late Sunday.

Flanked by key leaders of TLP, he told the demonstrators in Wazirabad that they had achieved a milestone. This is the beginning of a new journey, he said and vowed to back the TLP members at all costs.

Mufti Muneeb said Sirajul Haq and Fazlur Rehman promised their all-out support for their ‘just cause’, he said adding that was the beginning of a new journey. The government formed a state minister-headed steering committed to enforcing the accord and it held its maiden meeting in the federal capital, he told the protesters.

He said the words like banned, defunct, proscribed etc will be taken out of the name of TLP within week. He said the detainees are being released under the pact. He came down hard on the people who go for uncalled for criticism of the religious figures, saying: “We needn’t lecture on patriotism. There is no greater patriot than us.”

He told the supporter that he met Saad Rizvi who heaped praise on them.  Mufti Muneeb called upon them to stay united and asked them to clear GT Road and follow the further order by their leadership. He said he will visit Lahore with the protester to pay tribute to Khadim Hussain Rizvi if his health let him do so. Earlier in the day, Muneeb and other team members told the media about the deal they sealed with TLP. Although Mufti Muneeb did not shared with the media the deal details, he stressed the crisis is going to be overcome.

“Details will emerge at a later stage, but you will see the practical manifestations shortly,” he said in a press conference in Islamabad. He left the federal capital for Wazirabad where the TLP protesters were waiting for him. The TLP launched the protest drive to secure the release of its head Saad Rizvi and the expulsion of the French ambassador over blasphemy in the foreign magazine.