LAHORE:
Tehreek-e-Labbaik supporters reached Muridke on Saturday en route to Islamabad, after staging a night sit-in in Shahdara following violent clashes with police that left dozens injured and paralyzed parts of the provincial capital.
TLP supporters, led by party leader Saad Hussain Rizvi, began their “March to Gaza” from Multan Road on Friday afternoon to “express solidarity with Palestine.”
The march was organized in defiance of Section 144 imposed by the Punjab government, which subsequently sealed major exit points from Lahore in a bid to block the march of the rally towards Islamabad.
The TLP accused the police of using excessive force against rally participants in Shahdara and other areas of Lahore, alleging that the officers fired live ammunition and tear gas shells.
The party said around two dozen of its employees were killed and more than 200 injured as a result of what it called “police brutality.” This claim, however, could not be independently verified.
The police, for their part, claimed that TLP activists attacked the police with stones and iron bars, injuring more than 100 police officers and damaging public and private property. “The police exercised utmost restraint,” an official said, adding that no live bullets were used.
After a standoff lasting several hours on Friday, protesters staged a sit-in in Shahdara, on the northern edge of Lahore. By Saturday evening, the rally had reached Muridke, where TLP leaders announced they would spend the night before resuming the march towards Islamabad on Sunday.
Meanwhile, authorities in Islamabad and Rawalpindi maintained a high level of alert, blocking all major entry points with shipping containers, suspending metro services and partially cutting mobile internet in anticipation of the protesters’ arrival.
The TLP leadership insists its march is a “peaceful demonstration of solidarity with Gaza,” while the government accuses the group of “exploiting religious sentiment for political ends.”
This clash marks a new tense episode in the history of the TLP, seen as a disruptive protest movement, underscoring the party’s ability to mobilize thousands of people and challenge state authority in the streets.
The police spokesperson said the TLP’s violent and armed protests had no other aim than to disrupt the peace and order of the country, create hardship for the public and commit violence against police personnel. This cannot in any way be considered an expression of solidarity with the oppressed people of Gaza.
According to the spokesperson, a peace agreement has been reached in Gaza and Muslims express their gratitude to the Almighty for the restoration of peace, feeling satisfied and relieved.
Meanwhile, the TLP, by resorting to “vandalism” in Pakistan, seeks to achieve its malicious goals, he said, adding that these actions clearly show that the TLP does not care about establishing peace in Gaza, and that this lawless conduct amounts to strengthening the mission of Israeli extremists.
The spokesperson noted that armed groups present at the protest were violently attacking police personnel while crafting a narrative of victimization on social media to mislead the public.
The kidnapping of police officers and the brutal violence inflicted on them in no way represents the cause of the Muslims of Palestine; rather, it is a direct challenge to the state’s mandate, which cannot be tolerated under any circumstances, the spokesperson said.
He further asserted that those who took the law into their own hands would be met with an iron fist and there would be no compromise on the dignity of the state. “The public is urged to stay away from rumours, avoid supporting disruptive elements and cooperate fully with the police to maintain peace and order.”
Meanwhile, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman intervened to help defuse tensions arising from the ongoing TLP protest, sources said on Saturday.
The cleric held telephonic conversations with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Federal Government Representative Rana Sanaullah, urging both sides to resolve the issue peacefully.
Following his request, talks reportedly began between the government and TLP leaders.
The JUI-F chief stressed the need to resolve the issue amicably through dialogue and understanding, warning that the country could not afford further confrontations in the current circumstances, sources added.
