By Staff Reporter
RAWALPINDI: Police ramped up security in Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Thursday ahead of a planned march by the hardline Islamist group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), following violent clashes that injured officers during a raid on the group’s headquarters in Lahore.
The escalation comes as TLP announced intentions to lead supporters toward the capital on Oct. 10, building on calls for a massive anti-Israel demonstration outside the US Embassy in Islamabad the following day. Authorities, wary of the group’s history of disruptive sit-ins, have begun fortifying key entry points to the capital, including placing shipping containers at Faizabad Interchange, a flashpoint for previous TLP protests.
City Police Officer Syed Khalid Hamdani of Rawalpindi chaired a high-level meeting with senior officers to assess the law and order situation, emphasising a zero-tolerance policy for disruptions. “Those who violate the law will be dealt with strictly,” Hamdani warned, adding, “Attacks on citizens’ properties or law enforcement agencies will not be tolerated under any circumstances.”
He stressed that no road blockades, traffic disruptions or violent activities would be permitted under the guise of protest, and any actions harming public life, damaging property or targeting law enforcement would face strict legal consequences.
In Islamabad, the administration has initiated preparations to control potential unrest. Containers have been positioned at Faizabad Interchange, the site of several past TLP sit-ins, while orders have been issued to vacate hotels along Murree Road and in surrounding areas. All routes connecting Islamabad and Rawalpindi remain open for the time being, with any closures to be decided based on unfolding developments.
The heightened measures follow outbreaks of violence late Wednesday night in Lahore, where police launched a crackdown on TLP’s central office in an effort to arrest its chief, Saad Rizvi. At least three police constables were injured as enraged TLP supporters clashed with officers, hurling stones and wielding iron rods. Police countered with tear-gas shelling, transforming Multan Road into a chaotic scene.
Videos circulating on social media, which could not be immediately verified, depicted TLP activists fleeing amid tear gas bursts, while others displayed spent bullet casings and tear gas shells held aloft by protesters.
A TLP statement released early Thursday alleged that several of their workers had been arrested and condemned raids on supporters’ homes. Police indicated that the group had summoned a large contingent of backers to Lahore, who had set up temporary shelters. These individuals reportedly attacked advancing police units armed with stones, clubs and iron rods, temporarily forcing officers to retreat.
TLP has previously paralysed parts of the country with blockades, demanding action on matters like blasphemy laws and foreign policy.
Copyright © 2021 Independent Pakistan | All rights reserved
