LAHORE; Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari announced on Friday that the provincial government has formally sent a summary to the federal government recommending a ban on Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
“The Punjab cabinet has approved the proposal to ban TLP and forwarded the summary to the Centre. All legal formalities at the provincial level have been completed,” Bokhari stated during a press conference.
Her remarks came a day after Punjab decided to recommend the ban amid intensified operations against the group following Monday’s crackdown on its protest camp in Muridke. The move led to violent clashes, chaos, and dozens of arrests.
Bokhari criticised the group’s recent protest “in the name of Gaza,” held despite a ceasefire in the Middle East, saying it turned “bloody” as in previous years. She stressed that the state had decided “enough is enough,” and such disruptions could no longer be tolerated.
Meanwhile, Punjab Inspector General Dr Usman Anwar warned that no one would be allowed to take the law into their hands. Police tightened security across the province under Section 144, with officers placed on high alert to prevent unrest after Friday prayers.
Separately, the Lahore High Court (LHC) has sought replies from the Punjab government and police by October 23 on TLP petitions seeking the return of bodies of deceased workers, medical care for the injured, and the release of detained leaders, including Saad Rizvi.
Earlier this week, the Punjab cabinet also decided to place TLP’s leadership on the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act and seize its assets. Authorities will also freeze bank accounts, remove publicity material, and clamp down on hate speech and incitement.
The TLP was previously banned in April 2021 on Punjab’s recommendation but the ban was revoked in November the same year after a deal between the government and the group.
Federal ministers, including Mohsin Naqvi and Ataullah Tarar, have described TLP as an anarchist group with no political agenda except to challenge state authority.
