Pakistan’s federal law minister has resigned, following three weeks of protests by Islamist groups.

The protests had closed roads linking the capital, Islamabad, with other parts of the country. The situation turned violent Saturday as police tried to break up the sit-in, with more than 100 security personnel and several dozen protesters injured.

The demonstrators representing various religious parties wanted law minister Zahid Hamid to resign after a minor amendment in an electoral oath, which the protesters insisted undermined their religious beliefs. The government said the amendment was a clerical error and had been reversed.

“Our main demand has been accepted,” Ejaz Ashrafi, spokesman of the Tahreek-e-Labaik group, told Reuters Monday.

The protests have paralyzed life in the capital city, and at least two people, including a child, died recently when their ambulances could not reach hospitals in time because of the demonstrators. The protesters also defied court orders to disband.

Once the operation to break up the sit-in started, the protests quickly spread to other cities, and by Saturday afternoon, Pakistan’s largest cities Lahore and Karachi, also experienced clashes between police and supporters of the Islamist parties.

 
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