- State Minister for Interior says protests must remain within constitutional, peaceful limits
- Vows legal action against violent instigators, warning against exploiting religion or Palestine’s suffering for politics
ISLAMABAD: State Minister for Interior Senator Talal Chaudhry on Friday accused Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) of exploiting the issue of corruption for political purposes, reiterating that the government would not allow any group to use violence or blackmail the state.
Speaking to the media in Islamabad, Senator Chaudhry said Pakistan’s policy was clear: peaceful protest within a democratic and constitutional framework was a fundamental right. “There is no space in Pakistan for groups to blackmail others, use mobs, or resort to violence to achieve their objectives,” he said, adding that all protests must be conducted strictly under specified terms and conditions.
The state minister alleged that the recent demonstrations, which organisers claimed were being held in solidarity with Gaza and Palestine, were in fact motivated by other agendas. He said the people of Gaza and Palestine themselves were expressing relief and gratitude over recent developments there, questioning why protests in Pakistan were continuing in their name.
Sharing details about the situation in Lahore, the minister said that TLP’s centre in Samanabad had effectively been turned into a political office and that mosque premises were being misused for mobilising protestors.
He said the government had collected footage and other evidence showing protestors armed with sticks studded with nails, chemical bottles, glass pellets and tennis-ball-sized projectiles fitted with nails, which were hurled at police. More than a dozen policemen and Rangers personnel were injured in the clashes.
“You can find many such videos on social media,” he said, adding that Safe City cameras were deliberately damaged during the unrest. “If you are peaceful and have no nails, sticks or guns, then why did you break Safe City cameras so your attack would not be recorded?” he questioned.
Chaudhry said the law enforcement agencies, acting under a policy of minimum force, had continued operations to detain those identified as violent instigators. He added that hundreds of suspects had been traced through social media and WhatsApp groups, and provincial governments had already made several arrests. “For the government, stopping around two thousand people is not difficult, but the policy decision was to use minimum force,” he noted.
The minister stressed that cases involving the killing of policemen in past protests would be pursued, and those responsible—including leaders and instigators—would be brought to justice. He said that “mob politics” and violent gatherings carried out in the name of religion or extremism fell “squarely under terrorism.”
He also defended the authorities’ handling of the situation in major cities, noting that business activity, mobile services and road traffic remained largely normal in Punjab and Islamabad. He praised the Punjab government’s management of the situation, reiterating that federal and provincial authorities were working in close coordination.
The minister urged all political, religious and other groups to follow legal procedures when staging demonstrations—obtain prior permission and adhere to standard operating procedures—citing a recent peaceful march by thousands of Jamaat-e-Islami students in Islamabad as an example of the correct approach.
“Is it acceptable to make inflammatory speeches, label the whole world as unbelievers, and then claim righteousness while using religion to incite violence?” he asked, condemning attempts to exploit the suffering of Palestinians for political ends.
Chaudhry warned that Pakistan would not allow theatrics or acts that create disorder in the capital and said those pursuing destabilizing agendas would face legal consequences. Prosecutorial action and further detentions are expected as investigations proceed, he added.
