Government cancels TLP Muridke demonstration

LAHORE:

At least five people, including a police officer, three Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) employees and a bystander, were killed as law enforcement carried out a major operation before dawn in Muridke on Monday to disperse what authorities described as “armed and violent crowds.”

According to official sources, the crackdown came amid a multi-day protest march by TLP supporters moving from Lahore to Islamabad in what the group called a pro-Palestinian demonstration.

In a statement, the Punjab police spokesperson said the operation began after TLP officers “attacked security personnel with stones, sharp sticks and Molotov cocktails.”

Protesters, he claimed, opened “indiscriminate fire” on law enforcement when they were ordered to disperse, provoking a “limited defensive response” from law enforcement.

During the firing, a police station house officer (SHO) was martyred, while 48 policemen and Rangers personnel were injured, including 17 who were hit by gunfire. Three TLP protesters and a bystander also lost their lives, while eight civilians were injured.

“Law enforcement officers were forced to act in self-defense. The operation was carried out to restore public security and clear national highways,” the statement said.

Officials added that rioters set fire to 40 government and private vehicles and numerous arrests were made. A search operation remains underway to find those involved in the violence. “Punjab Police will never allow armed mobs to endanger the lives of citizens or disturb the peace,” he concluded.

In a separate statement, Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Usman Anwar reiterated that TLP leader Hafiz Saad Hussain Rizvi was “safe and not in custody”, refuting viral social media claims of his arrest or injuries. “There is no truth in these rumors,” the IGP said, urging citizens to rely on verified information.

Muridke’s operation sparked scattered protests in other parts of the country, including in Karachi, where small groups blocked roads in northern Karachi and Nagan Chowrangi before being dispersed with tear gas. Two children were injured in stone-throwing incidents, while police arrested a dozen TLP supporters.

The police then filed a case against the TLP leaders and workers at the Muridke town police station for terrorism and several other criminal charges.

According to the first information report (FIR), TLP workers allegedly attacked a group of policemen, set government vehicles on fire and spread chaos and fear among the public after authorities decided to disperse their protest camp near Muridke.

The report said the crowd was armed and resorted to violence when police attempted to clear the road. Protesters reportedly killed the SHO factory area, damaged several police and private vehicles and took some police officers hostage.

The police invoked sections 6 and 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997, as well as sections 302 (murder), 435 (mischief by arson), 431 (public mischief) and numerous other sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), including 120B, 121A, 143, 147, 148, 149, 186, 427, 188 and 290, among others.

Police sources said the FIR also mentions the use of loudspeakers and violation of the Punjab Sound Systems Regulation Act, 2015 and the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960.

Following the registration of the case, large police contingents were deployed in and around Muridke to maintain law and order.

Roads leading to the city remain blocked, while traffic diversions have been put in place by the Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) at several entry points in Lahore and adjoining districts. Police officials said raids were underway to arrest those involved in the violence.

In Islamabad and Rawalpindi, law enforcement continued to enforce Section 144, sealing entry points and maintaining a state of alert around Faizabad and the Islamabad Expressway. Mobile internet, partially suspended in the Twin Cities since Friday, was restored Monday evening.

On Monday evening, the Motorway Police confirmed that traffic was moving normally on the M-2 (Lahore-Islamabad), M-3 (Lahore-Abdul Hakeem) and Lahore-Sialkot highways.

“All highways in Lahore are open for traffic and operations are normal,” Motorway Police spokesperson Imran Shah told media.

The restoration follows two days of intermittent closures and diversions imposed to prevent the TLP convoy from advancing toward the capital.

The scale of street protests in Lahore appeared to have diminished considerably on Monday evening.

Police sources said protests that had erupted earlier at a dozen points in the city had been reduced at three key places – Shimla Pahari, Samanabad towards Scheme Mor and Thokar Niaz Beg – with small groups attempting to block roads.

Authorities maintained a heavy police presence at these intersections, where minor scuffles were reported but no major violence occurred. Traffic police said diversions were in place and public transport had mostly resumed normal operations.

Authorities sealed off major entry points along GT Road and suspended internet access in several districts to prevent an escalation. Despite repeated calls from the government, the group refused to disperse, leading to Monday’s operation in Muridke.

As calm returned to most parts of Punjab, officials said the “state mandate had been restored” but warned of further action against those inciting unrest. Human rights activists and opposition figures, meanwhile, have called for transparency and restraint in the treatment of detainees.

By Monday evening, Lahore’s roads were open and traffic on the highway network had returned to normal. However, large police deployments remained in Muridke, Shahdara and Samanabad, amid fears of sporadic surges.

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said the government “will not allow anyone to take the public hostage or attack the state.” She warned that those involved in armed resistance would be tried under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).

The TLP launched its “long march” from Lahore’s Yateem Khana Chowk on Friday, promising to reach Islamabad to stage a sit-in outside the US embassy in support of the Palestinians.

The group, led by Hafiz Saad Rizvi – son of the late cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi – has a history of disruptive protests on religious and foreign policy issues.

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