ISLAMABAD: The Interior Ministry on Friday officially banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), declaring the group a banned organization under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
The notification, issued by the Interior Ministry, said the federal government had “reasonable grounds to believe that Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan is linked and concerned with terrorism”.
โโฆIn exercise of the powers conferred by section 11B(1)(a) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 (XXVII of 1997), the Federal Government hereby directs TLP to be a prohibited organization for the purposes of the Act and to list the said organization in the First Schedule to the said Act,โ the notification read.
The Interior Ministry sent a notification to the TLP leadership as well as all relevant federal and provincial authorities.
The move follows a series of violent TLP protests that erupted earlier this month after police dismantled a protest camp in Muridke, leading to clashes that resulted in the death of a police station house officer (SHO) and three others, including a bystander.
This recent development comes a day after the federal cabinet gave the nod to ban TLP under the ATA, following a request from the Punjab government, citing violent protests in the province that left several people dead and scores injured.
The summary was submitted by the Home Ministry following a request from the Punjab government. Senior officials from Punjab also attended the meeting via video link.
The meeting was informed that the TLP had already been banned in 2021 by the then government. However, the ban was lifted after six months on the condition that the group refrain from further violence and public disorder.
Govt to file reference against TLP in SC
Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry has initiated legal proceedings to file an appeal in the Supreme Court seeking a ban on the TLP under Article 17(2) and (3) of the Constitution, sources said on Friday.
The Interior Ministry will file a dossier in consultation with the Justice Ministry and the Attorney General.
Under Article 17(2) of the Constitution, a political party can be banned if it acts against the sovereignty, integrity or security of Pakistan. The government must, however, send a reference to the highest court within 15 days of announcing such a decision, and the ban will not take effect until the court confirms it.
โSenior TLP leaders will soon be arrestedโ
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari said senior leaders of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) had gone into hiding outside the province following the violent protests, assuring they would be apprehended soon.
Speaking on PK Press Club PakistanAzma said that according to available information, top leaders of the group are currently outside Punjab and are fond of going underground to evade arrest.
โLaw enforcement is actively working on this and you will soon receive good news,โ the Information Minister added.
“I would ask that we not refer to this extremist group as a political party. It is not a party, but rather a mindset that we must collectively confront as a society.”
She added: “It is neither a political party nor a religious party; it functions as a project to collect watches and billions of rupees.”
Azma said it had been revealed that those who made transactions in the name of religion were earning interest on these payments. The provincial information minister said that every time the TLP takes to the streets, it engages in โacts of violence and attempts to disrupt public order.โ
โThey have a unique history of acting as a pressure group to dictate terms to the state,โ she said, before adding: โOur leaders are convinced that now is the best time to correct the mistakes of the past.โ
