Punjab minister says dozens of bank accounts frozen, Interior Minister Naqvi meets academics in Karachi
Clashes between police and TLP workers paralyze life in Lahore on Friday. Screenshot of an Express sequence
LAHORE/KARACHI:
The Punjab government on Tuesday intensified its crackdown on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and its supporters, freezing dozens of bank accounts, seizing properties and placing hundreds of mosques and seminaries under government control.
Simultaneously, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi assured Karachi that federal action was being taken only against those who are armed, and not against any particular religious group. He said the government would not interfere in the affairs of mosques or seminaries.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari, addressing a press conference in Lahore, said 95 bank accounts linked to TLP leader Saad Rizvi had been frozen, while another 3,800 national and international accounts used to fund the group were under investigation.
“Those who fund the TLP will be charged with terrorism,” she warned, adding that the Punjab cabinet had approved a summary seeking a ban on the group, which is now in the hands of the federal government for a final decision expected in a few days.
The minister said well-educated individuals supported the group’s activities and the government would not tolerate “anyone using religion to fuel unrest.”
She revealed that authorities recovered 1.92 kilograms of gold, 898 grams of silver, 69 branded watches and cash worth over Rs144 million during a raid on Rizvi’s residence. Police also recovered foreign currencies, including Indian rupees, Saudi riyals and UAE dirhams, and jewelry worth Rs 63 million.
Bokhari confirmed that no orders had been issued to move the grave of TLP founder Khadim Hussain Rizvi, calling such rumors on social media “false and politically motivated.” However, she warned that no one would be allowed to use the grave as a rallying point to raise funds or incite hatred.
She added that 130 mosques previously under the influence of the TLP had been placed under state custody and 223 madaris geotagged. “These mosques will remain open for prayer, but no political activity or provocative speech will be tolerated,” she said. Six of the seminaries, she noted, were built on state-owned land and will be handed over to moderate Sunni scholars.
The minister condemned the TLP’s recent “Gaza March”, which defied Article 144 and led to violent clashes in Muridke, leaving one martyr, three protesters dead and dozens injured. “It is tragic that the riots are justified in the name of Islam and Palestine,” Bokhari said. “It’s manipulation.”
In Karachi, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi reiterated that the federal government was not targeting any specific organization. “Action will be taken against anyone who is armed, not any particular group,” he said at a joint press conference with Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori and MQM-Pakistan President Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.
Naqvi highlighted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir were working diligently to restore peace and stability. “We are getting results. What we need most is unity,” he noted.
Governor Tessori said Naqvi was actively engaged in ensuring peace and supervising the operation against Fitna al-Khawarij (the misdeeds of the Kharijites). He added that the issues of Karachi and Hyderabad were being discussed, terming the minister’s cooperation “exemplary”.
The minister then met Mufti Muneebur Rehman and other Sunni scholars, assuring them that the government would not interfere in religious institutions. He promised transparency in investigations related to the Muridke incident and said details of victims and affected families would be shared.
In a statement, Mufti Abdul Razzaq Naqshbandi, spokesperson for Mufti Muneebur Rehman, said the two sides discussed the Muridke incident and its aftermath. “The ulama presented their stand on several issues and the minister promised to resolve all the issues. It was agreed that a detailed session would be held in Islamabad to address the legitimate concerns,” he said.
Bokhari, meanwhile, warned that those inciting online violence through platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook would be charged with terrorism, adding that violators would be denied admission to university, visas and other public facilities. “We don’t want pressure groups to emerge in Pakistan,” she said. “Anyone who conspires against peace and stability will be subject to the full force of the law.”
She concluded by calling on parents to keep their children away from radical elements. “Your children were not born to become someone’s cannon fodder,” she said.
