Punjab government suspends licenses of 28 arms dealers, while shops of several unlicensed dealers closed
ISLAMABAD:
Approving a request from the Punjab government, the federal government on Thursday banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), declaring it a banned organization under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The decision – taken at a federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif – follows deadly clashes during recent anti-Israel protests near Lahore that left several people dead.
According to a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the federal cabinet “unanimously” approved the ban.
During the meeting, the Home Ministry presented a summary based on the recommendation of the Punjab government, with senior provincial officials participating through video link.
The cabinet was briefed on the violent and terrorist activities of the TLP across the country. Officials informed the meeting that since its inception in 2016, the group has been involved in multiple incidents of unrest and violence, causing widespread disruption and loss of life.
It was recalled that in 2021, the then government also banned the TLP, but the decision was revoked six months later after the group assured that it would refrain from violence and disorder.
However, the cabinet was informed that the TLP had once again violated these commitments through the use of violence and incitement. The news outlet noted that the group’s past protests and rallies have resulted in the deaths of security personnel and civilians.
After considering the briefing and recommendations from Punjab, the federal cabinet unanimously concluded that the TLP was engaged in terrorist and violent activities, and therefore declared it a banned organization under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Earlier today, Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari outlined the recent law and order measures taken by the Punjab government following a TLP protest earlier this month.
She said the government had suspended the licenses of 28 arms dealers, while the stores of several unlicensed dealers had been closed.
“There is a zero tolerance policy on the purchase and sale of arms and as I said earlier, no arms licenses will be issued in Punjab from now on,” she added.
The minister further said that more than a million people in the province currently hold gun permits. “In a province where so many people are allowed to carry guns, you can imagine how difficult it is to keep the peace,” she remarked.
She added that 47,918 security companies in Punjab have arms licenses, while various institutions collectively hold over 42,000 licenses.
Bokhari also shared details of weapons and ammunition allegedly recovered from individuals associated with the TLP. Displaying similar images on a screen, she said TLP protesters had seized weapons, ammunition and other items belonging to police during previous demonstrations.
“This is their modus operandi. They surround the police, take vehicles, weapons and tear gas guns from them and then use them.
“In 2021 [protest]”They stole 3,498 tear gas shells, 23 tear gas guns, 326 riot kits, two 12 caliber pistols and 11 submachine guns,” she said. Showing one of the images on screen, she added that they matched bullets fired at police during the recent TLP protest.
According to Bokhari, TLP activists damaged eight police vehicles and seized a machine gun, two 12-gauge pistols and 945 bullets during their recent protest. Additionally, the minister said protesters seized 197 helmets, 22 kits, 130 “safety sheets”, a tear gas gun and 984 tear gas shells, all of which were part of the riot gear.
They even damaged Safe City’s cameras, Bokhari added.
She added that a special prosecution cell was working on TLP-related cases, in which 559 suspects had been sent to pre-trial detention. Among them, 161 have been sent to prison and 190 are in pre-trial detention, she added.
Turning to action taken regarding social media posts, she said a total of “75 links” had been blocked for sharing hateful and inciteful material and 107 people had been apprehended.
Bokhari added that citizens could give information to the police about “the extremist party” and “illegal citizens, whether Afghans or anyone else”, by calling the police hotline number 15. Their calls would be transferred to a special cell and the names of the informants would remain secret, she assured.
She stressed that “Dala culture” would also not be tolerated.
“Calling a strike and forcing the closure of shops, businesses and transport is completely unacceptable. Cases will be registered under terrorism laws. [against those involved]”, she warned again.
Bokhari also pointed out that there is a province-wide ban on posters, brochures, brands or any other type of advertising of “extremist mobs.”
Regarding Afghan refugees, she said search operations had been launched to identify those who did not have the necessary documents, who would then be transferred to established centers at the district level. They would then be sent back to their country in a respectful manner.
This would also apply to other people residing “illegally” in Punjab, she said, adding that “information was being collected about illegal citizens doing business in Punjab so that they could also be repatriated”.
In this regard, the minister warned that renting properties to “illegal citizens” or letting them stay in one’s residence was a crime and action would be taken. “The Punjab government has taken a decision on this and it is being implemented.”
She also said that the Punjab government had requested the Center to regularize the arms factories.
