Islamabad/Lahore, Oct 23 (PTI) Pakistan’s cabinet on Thursday approved a decision to ban the extremist Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party under the Anti-Terrorism Act after it recently staged violent protests in the country.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired the cabinet meeting that discussed the Punjab government’s proposal to outlaw the religious group under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 1997.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement that the cabinet “unanimously” approved the ban, adding that the interior ministry presented the summary of the Punjab government’s request and a briefing was provided on the “violent and terrorist activities of TLP in the country”.
“The meeting was informed that this organisation, established in 2016, has incited violence across the country. Due to the organisation, incidents of violence have occurred in different parts of the country,” it added.
It pointed out that the TLP was banned in 2021 as well, which was lifted after six months on the condition that unrest and violent activities would not be carried out by the party in the future, adding that a reason for the current ban on the organisation was also the reneging on the guarantees given in 2021.
“In the past, security personnel and innocent bystanders have been killed in violent protests and rallies by the TLP. The federal cabinet, after a briefing given to the meeting and the recommendation of the Punjab government, unanimously concluded that the TLP is involved in terrorism and violent acts,” the statement said.
After the ban, the TLP would be entered in the list of proscribed groups maintained by the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA).
The list already included militant groups such as the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Laskar-e-Toiba and extremist groups like Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
However, before the listing, the federal government must refer the matter to the Supreme Court within 15 days of its decision for endorsement. Once confirmed by the top court, which has the final power to ban a political party, the group would be entered on the list of proscribed organisations.
Earlier, the decision to ban the TLP was taken by the Punjab government in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on October 16, five days after the religio-political party began a protest march in Lahore.
It launched a protest described as a “Gaza solidarity” march on October 11, pledging to reach Islamabad and protest outside the US embassy. However, it camped at Muridke, some 60 km from Lahore, where it was forcibly dispersed on October 13.
Around 16 people including policemen were killed and over 1,600 injured in clashes between the police and supporters of TLP at Muridke.
The group has a history of violent protest since 2017, when it launched its first big protest and laid a siege to the capital, Islamabad.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s anti-cybercrime agency arrested over 100 social media activists of the TLP for inflammatory posts.
“We have arrested 107 social media activists (of TLP) for inflammatory posts besides blocking 75 such accounts,” Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari told a press conference here earlier in the day. Punjab police claim to have arrested over 6,000 TLP activists so far following last week’s violent clashes.
The government has so far sealed 61 seminaries run by the radical Islamist party. The Auqaf Department of the Punjab government has also been given control of all TLP mosques and seminaries.
The TLP claimed that dozens of its supporters were killed while thousands injured as police opened fire straight on the “unarmed” protesters who wanted to express their solidarity with the people of Palestine. Minister Bokhari further said the government has identified 3,600 financial backers of the TLP both inside and outside the country, and that weapons seized from police in 2021 by this extremist group were also used in recent violent protests.
She warned that the Punjab government will make it impossible for anyone who takes up arms against the state to operate freely, stressing that the writ of the state is supreme and there will be no compromise on the protection of citizens’ lives and property.
The minister called for the immediate surrender of all illegal weapons and warned that anyone involved in incitement or violence will be booked under the cyber laws.
She announced that licences for 28 arms dealers have already been suspended, and no new arms licences will be issued in the Punjab province. PTI SH/MZ GRS GRS GRS
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.