A committee formed by the federal government announced on Thursday that all women and children as well 90% of men arrested from the Baloch Solidarity Committee long march have been released.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad after negotiating with the arrested protestors, Fawad Hassan Fawad said that no protestors who had come to Islamabad were involved in clashes with police.

The minister was flanked by Islamabad’s IG, DC as well as ministers Murtaza Solangi and Jamal Shah.

He said that ‘local’ people had tried to exploit the situation for their own means and their aims would have materialised if authorities had not stepped in.

Fawad added that if the government had wanted to clash with the protestors it would have confronted the protest going on in Islamabad for the last 23 days.

He added that the only people still in custody were those who were yet to be identified.

Fawad also revealed that the committee would develop a report on the protestors’ grievances which would be submitted to Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar.

He also said that former Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Malik Baloch had reached out to PM Kakar on Wednesday as the clashes took place.