Pak: Twitter suspends TLP chief Khadim Rizvi's account

Twitter on Sunday suspended the account of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Khadim Rizvi, following a request by the Imran Khan-led government to take action against his tweets inciting violence during the protests against the verdict of Asiya Bibi case.

On visiting his handle, a notification appears on the screen which reads - "Account Suspended".

The step was taken after Rizvi and his TLP supporters had urged people to resort to violence in the aftermath of the verdict last week. The TLP chief also criticised several state institutions by writing inflammatory statements as claimed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, The Express Tribune reported.

Earlier, Pakistan's Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry had said that the social networking giant turned down the PTI government's request to pull down Rizvi's account.

On Saturday, Rizvi and senior TLP leader Afzal Qadri were among the 500 people booked for rioting and disrupting normal life in various parts of Lahore. Two cases were also booked against protestors in the nation's capital Islamabad on charges of vandalising public property.

On October 31, mass protests began after the Pakistan Supreme Court announced its verdict acquitting Asiya, a Christian woman in a blasphemy case. The demonstrations, led by TLP and other religious parties, blocked roads and vandalised public property in various parts of the country.

A three-judge special bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel heard Asiya's 2014 appeal against her conviction and death sentence and overturned the ruling in favour of her.

Even after rejecting reports of putting Asiya on the Exit Control List (ECL), the PTI government succumbed to pressure and reached an agreement with the TLP for taking legal actions to not allow Asiya and her family to leave the country.

Asiya was convicted and sentenced to death in 2010 for allegedly insulting Islam during an argument with three Muslim women.