Pir Hameeduddin Sialvi of the Sial Sharif shrine has called off a protest aimed at 'bringing down the government' following discussions with Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday.

"Peaceful Khatm-i-Nabuwwat and Sirat-un-Nabi conferences will be held [instead of the protests]," Sharif told media after the meeting, encouraging people to participate.

Responding to a question, he said that differences between the Pir and him had been created because of political opponents and a "religious group."

Earlier in the week, at a Khatm-i-Nabuwwat conference in Lahore, Pir Sialvi had set a deadline for the government seeking the enforcement of “Shariah” within seven days or risk protests "in every nook and corner of the country".

The conference had been attended by workers of the Tehreek Labbaik Ya Rasul Allah (TLYR), the Sunni Ittehad Council, the Sunni Tehreek, and other allied groups.

The protest had originally started with the single demand for the resignation of Law Minister Rana Sanaullah for remarks he made in a TV programme.

Five PML-N lawmakers — two MNAs and three MPAs — had also submitted their resignations last month on Sialvi's call, as a protest against the non-removal of Sanaullah from his position.