Punjab Police ‘strikes gold’ in raid on TLP chief’s residence

Punjab police recovered a large quantity of gold, cash and foreign currencies during a raid at the residence of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Labbaik chief Saad Rizvi, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

According to a Punjab Police spokesperson, the operation, carried out in coordination with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Cyber ​​Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), resulted in the recovery of millions of rupees in cash, including foreign currencies and jewellery.

Authorities said police recovered 144.4 million rupees in Pakistani currency, along with gold and jewelry worth over 63.4 million rupees. The recovery included 1,922 grams of gold in the form of rings, bangles, chains, lockets, bangles and other items.

Authorities also recovered 898 grams of silver, luxury watches and other valuables.

Additionally, law enforcement officials confiscated foreign currencies worth more than 2.5 million rupees, including Indian rupees, British pounds, Canadian dollars, Saudi riyals and UAE dirhams.

The raid was carried out in the presence of representatives of the FIA ​​and the Cyber ​​Crime Agency, who officially documented and verified the recovered items, the police spokesperson said.

Although authorities have not released details about possible charges or the next phase of the investigation, sources said the recovery is part of a broader probe into financial irregularities and undeclared assets.

It was reported that one of the TLP’s main demands during recent negotiations was the return of seized cash, foreign currency and jewelry, which the group said was collected through donations from various countries.

The raid was part of a broader crackdown by law enforcement as they tightened their noose around the TLP following protests and days of unrest in Lahore and other Punjab cities.

TLP supporters, led by the Rizvi party, had launched their “March for Gaza” from Multan Road last week to express solidarity with Palestine. The procession reached Muridke, en route to Islamabad.

Read also: TLP management, workers incarcerated for terrorism in Muridke

The march took place in defiance of Section 144 imposed by the Punjab government, which then sealed the main exit points from Lahore to prevent the march of the rally towards the capital.

After negotiations between the government and TLP leaders failed, law enforcement launched a major pre-dawn operation in Muridke on Monday to disperse what officials described as “armed and violent crowds.”

In a statement, a Punjab Police spokesperson said the operation was launched after TLP officers allegedly attacked security personnel with stones, sharp sticks and petrol bombs.

As a result of the operation, a complaint was filed against TLP leaders and employees of the Muridke City Police Station for terrorism and various other criminal charges.

Read: Police files terrorism complaint against TLP after deadly Muridke clashes

During the clashes, a police officer was killed, while 48 members of the police and Rangers were injured, including 17 by gunfire. Three TLP protesters and a bystander were killed, and eight civilians were reportedly injured.

After the case was registered, large contingents of police were deployed in and around Muridke to maintain peace and order.

The operation in Muridke sparked scattered protests in other parts of the country, including Karachi, where small groups blocked roads in areas like North Karachi and Nagan Chowrangi. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd and also arrested more than a dozen TLP supporters and workers. Two children were injured during stone-throwing incidents.

On Monday evening, the Motorway Police confirmed that traffic had returned to normal on the M-2 (Lahore-Islamabad), M-3 (Lahore-Abdul Hakeem) and the Lahore-Sialkot highway. According to police sources, the intensity of street protests in Lahore reduced significantly on Monday evening.