Federal Cabinet approves ban on TLP on Punjab govt's request 

Islamabad (Web Desk): Islamabad (Web Desk): The federal cabinet on Thursday gave its unanimous consent to declare the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) a proscribed organisation under the Anti-Terrorism Act, following the Punjab government’s recommendation to outlaw the group.

The decision was reached during a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, which focused on reviewing the overall security situation and assessing the recent activities of the group.

Officials from the Interior Ministry presented a detailed summary based on Punjab’s formal request to impose a ban on the TLP over its repeated acts of violence and extremism. Senior officials from the Punjab government also joined the discussion through a video link.

Members of the cabinet were briefed on the organisation’s violent track record, including incidents of vandalism, unrest, and incitement that have occurred since the group’s inception in 2016. Authorities described the TLP as a movement that has persistently disrupted public order and provoked chaos across different regions.

It was noted that the TLP had earlier been banned in 2021 but the restriction was withdrawn six months later after the group pledged to refrain from violent protests—an assurance it failed to uphold.

The cabinet was further informed that TLP-led demonstrations had caused the loss of lives among both civilians and security forces, reinforcing concerns about its involvement in terrorism and disorder.

After examining Punjab’s findings and recommendations, the cabinet reached the conclusion that the organisation’s actions fell within the scope of terrorist activity. The Interior Ministry was instructed to initiate all necessary legal and administrative steps to enforce the decision.

The Punjab government had earlier urged the Centre to take decisive action after the TLP’s Gaza March on October 13 in Muridke turned violent and was dispersed by law enforcement agencies.

In a meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, it was decided that TLP members and leaders found responsible for the killing of police personnel and destruction of property would face prosecution in anti-terrorism courts.

According to police reports, the Muridke clashes led to the death of a Station House Officer and injuries to 48 personnel of police and Rangers, 17 of whom sustained gunshot wounds.

The confrontation also left three TLP activists and one passerby dead, while around 30 civilians were reported injured. The group had intended to march towards Islamabad to stage a demonstration outside the US Embassy in solidarity with Palestinians.

However, the situation quickly deteriorated into violent confrontations, with protesters setting several vehicles ablaze. As negotiations failed, authorities launched a pre-dawn operation around 3 a.m. to disperse the gathering, resulting in a large number of arrests. The TLP claimed multiple casualties among its members, with unverified reports suggesting party chief Saad Rizvi had been injured by gunfire.

In response to the violence, it was decided to include the TLP leadership in the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997, transfer all party properties to the Auqaf Department, and impose a blanket ban on its publicity materials such as banners and posters. Officials also resolved to suspend the group’s social media platforms, freeze its financial accounts, and enforce strict action for any violations of the Loudspeaker Act.

A day later, Punjab Police carried out a search operation at the residence of Saad Rizvi, leading to the recovery of substantial quantities of cash, gold, and foreign currency.

A police spokesperson said the operation was conducted jointly with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The raid resulted in the seizure of Rs144.4 million in local currency, gold and jewellery worth over Rs63.4 million—including 1,922 grams of gold, 898 grams of silver, and several luxury watches.

Officials also recovered foreign currency exceeding Rs2.5 million, including Indian rupees, British pounds, Canadian dollars, Saudi riyals, and UAE dirhams. The presence of FIA and NCCIA representatives ensured the official documentation and verification of the recovered items.