New Delhi: At least one police officer and three protesters were killed Monday as members of far-Right Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) clashed with security personnel on one of the country’s busiest highways during their protest against Israel over the war on Gaza.
The hardline TLP, whose often violent street protests have troubled multiple Pakistani governments, had called for the march ahead of US President Donald Trump’s announcement last week of a ceasefire deal to end the Gaza war.
The clashes occurred during the TLP’s march from Lahore to capital Islamabad, nearly 400 km away, along the Grand Trunk Road. The march started Friday, with TLP members vowing to stage a pro-Palestinian demonstration outside the U.S. Embassy. The embassy issued a security advisory ahead of the march, cautioning about potential disruptions and urging American citizens to remain vigilant.
Fearing a violent escalation, the Punjab government blocked highways, sealed city entry points, and deployed paramilitary forces to halt the procession. This led to clashes between TLP members and security personnel at various points.
Despite the clashes, thousands of TLP members pressed ahead with their march toward the capital, and had been camping at Muridke, still about 370 km from Islamabad, for two days.
The main TLP procession reached Muridke Saturday, breaking through police barricades, hours after Lahore saw some of its fiercest clashes yet, leaving over 100 officers injured, many critically. By Sunday evening, reports indicated that TLP chief Saad Hussain Rizvi had urged his followers to stay calm and await further instructions as he consulted with senior aides.
On Monday though, police said they launched an operation to disperse the protesters in Muridke.
A violent clash ensued, with the Punjab Police saying “armed groups” opened fire on security personnel, killing a station house officer (SHO) and injuring 48 law-enforcement officials, 17 of them by receiving gunshots. They said at least three TLP members were also killed in the violence.
Police accused the demonstrators of using “spiked batons, petrol bombs, and live ammunition” as they attempted to breach barricades.
The TLP, however, accused the police and Pakistani Rangers of opening fire “indiscriminately”, killing at least 11 of its followers and injuring dozens more.
TLP leader Hafiz Saad Hussain Rizvi was reportedly shot multiple times and remains in critical condition, according to local media.
In a statement posted on X, the Punjab government said, “When the State enforces its writ, these masked criminals stage a drama of playing the victims but the State is not weak.”
The clashes occurred even as Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif landed in Egypt to attend the signing of the Trump-brokered Gaza peace plan, and thanked the US president for his “single-minded pursuit of peace”.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif called the protests “an insult to religion”.
“Forming armed groups in the name of religion, blocking roads and holding the public hostage is an insult to religion. For two years, tyranny and a festival of blood were played out in Gaza, yet no one remembers any protests. When the ceasefire happened there, the protests began. The time has come to stop holding our society hostage… through violence in the name of religion,” he wrote on X.
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TLP’s history of violent protests
The TLP is infamous for its relentless attacks on Ahmadiyyas, false blasphemy allegations, and calls to kill supreme court justices. The party, founded in 2015, often resorts to violent protests to pressure the government into meeting its demands. It has been linked to attacks on police officers in the past too.
In the past few months, the TLP openly called for violence against Ahmadiyyas, declaring that the community has no right to live in Pakistan. In Punjab’s Bahawalnagar, TLP leaders incited attacks on Ahmadiyya homes and mosques, leading to widespread fear and displacement within the community. These actions have drawn condemnation from human rights organisations and calls for the TLP to be banned.
Despite these allegations, the TLP continues to hold significant political influence. In the 2024 general elections, the party secured nearly 2.9 million votes nationwide, becoming the fourth-largest party in Pakistan. In the province of Punjab alone, it received nearly 2.5 million votes, making it the third-largest party in the region. The TLP currently holds one seat in the Punjab assembly.
Pakistan’s government has accused the group of exploiting the Gaza conflict for “political gain”.
The Punjab Police also shared a statement on X, questioning the TLP’s motives, posting video clips that appeared to show officers being beaten up by protesters.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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