By Staff Reporter
LAHORE: The provincial Punjab government has formally requested that federal authorities impose a ban on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, a religious political party, following violent protests that killed several people, including police officers, and injured hundreds more in recent days.
The move, approved by the provincial cabinet and forwarded to the central government in Islamabad, comes amid heightened tensions after clashes between TLP supporters and law enforcement agencies. The unrest erupted when police dismantled a protest camp in Muridke, leading to the deaths of a police station house officer, three others, including a passerby, and widespread chaos.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari announced the decision at a press conference in Lahore on Friday, emphasising the need to restore order after what she described as repeated attempts by the group to disrupt public life. “The Punjab cabinet has given its approval for banning the TLP, and this has been forwarded to the Centre,” Bokhari said. “So the legal requirement with regard to the provinces has been fulfilled. The provincial government, after giving its approval, has forwarded the summary to the Centre.”
The request follows a cabinet meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, where officials also resolved to place TLP leaders on the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act, a list of individuals suspected of terrorism or sectarianism. The federal government had previously banned the TLP in April 2021 under the Anti-Terrorism Act, on Punjab’s recommendation, but lifted the ban in November that year after a deal ended another violent march toward Islamabad.
The latest protests began as a march “in solidarity with Gaza,” with TLP pledging to reach Islamabad and demonstrate outside the United States Embassy. But early Monday, authorities conducted a pre-dawn operation in Muridke, where the group had established a camp en route. The action sparked confrontations, dozens of arrests, and the protest’s abrupt conclusion.
Since then, reports have emerged of a broader crackdown on TLP members. At her press conference, Bokhari, without directly naming the party, alluded to “a protest called in the name of Gaza,” which she said was “illogically” held after a truce ended Israeli military actions in the territory.
She added that the demonstration had turned “bloody as always.” “This is not the first time that this party — or I would rather call it a group — has resorted to such acts,” Bokhari said, citing previous protests in 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2022 that turned violent. “Be it 2017, 2019, 2021, or 2022, there have been repeated attempts to paralyze the lives of people and shut the country down.” “We saw a continuity of those instances this time as well,” she continued. “The only difference this time was that the state and government together decided that this could not continue anymore. Pakistan cannot afford this anymore.”
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