Pakistan’s parliament to debate French envoy’s expulsion

Move follows comments by French president last year that were deemed to be ‘blasphemous’ by a far-right Pakistani party.

Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan’s parliament will debate a resolution on the expulsion of the French ambassador to Islamabad over comments by the French president last year that were deemed to be “blasphemous” by a far-right religious party, the interior minister says. The move came amid negotiations with the now-banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) after days of violent protests by the party that has seen at least four policemen killed and more than 800 wounded. The TLP on Monday released 11 policemen abducted during a raid on a police station in the eastern city of Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city.