Punjab moves to outlaw TLP Punjab to seek TLP ban

LAHORE: The Punjab government on Thursday decided to recommend that the federal government impose a ban on the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) following recent violent protests and a province-wide crackdown on the hardline group.

The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to review law and order after security forces dismantled the TLP’s protest camp in Muridke earlier this week. The CM Office described the session as an “extraordinary meeting” that took “historic decisions to ensure the writ of the state and the supremacy of law.”

While the official handout avoided naming the group, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari later confirmed to Dawn that the actions were directed at the TLP.

According to the statement, the provincial government would recommend that the federal government “impose a ban on an extremist party.” It added that the party’s leadership would be placed in the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), which restricts the movement and finances of individuals suspected of involvement in terrorism or sectarian activity.

The meeting also resolved that anyone involved in hate speech, incitement or attacks on security personnel would be arrested immediately, and that cases of violence against police and damage to public property would be tried in anti-terrorism courts (ATCs).

All assets and properties belonging to the group would be transferred to the Punjab Auqaf Department, while its posters, banners, and publicity material would be banned. The government further ordered that all bank accounts of the organisation be frozen and that social media pages spreading hate speech be removed.

The statement said there would be strict action under the Loudspeaker Act, and new steps were agreed upon to tighten control on illegal weapons. Citizens were given one month to register their legal arms at Police Khidmat Markaz centres, with non-compliance carrying a punishment of up to 14 years in jail and a Rs2 million fine. Issuance of new dealer licences has been suspended, and arms manufacturers will now be subject to stricter federal regulation.

The meeting also decided to take measures concerning the Afghan community living in Punjab. These include creating a real-time database of illegal residents, bringing legal residents into the tax net, and launching “combing operations” against unregistered individuals and businesses. Whistleblower information on illegal residents would remain confidential, and deportations would proceed in coordination with the federal government.

The latest measures come days after law enforcement agencies launched a pre-dawn operation in Muridke to dismantle the TLP’s protest camp, which had been established for what the group called a “Gaza solidarity march” to Islamabad. The crackdown sparked violent clashes, leaving several policemen injured and leading to hundreds of arrests.

According to official figures, 2,716 people were detained following the operation, including 251 in Lahore and 178 in Sheikhupura. The interior ministry said travel restrictions were also imposed on nearly 2,800 individuals.

Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry said the government would pursue those involved in TLP violence with the same intensity as participants of the May 9, 2023 riots. “No one will be allowed to challenge the authority of the state,” he said.

Officials said the decision followed several security briefings where the TLP’s record of violent demonstrations, attacks on law enforcement, and vandalism of places of worship belonging to minority communities were reviewed.

The TLP, which draws its support primarily from Barelvi religious groups, has repeatedly paralysed major cities through street protests. It was first banned in April 2021 under the ATA after violent demonstrations but was reinstated later that year following a deal with the Punjab government. Temporary restrictions were again imposed in 2023 during another long march but were lifted after negotiations.

The latest push marks the most serious attempt by the Punjab government under Maryam Nawaz to curtail the group’s influence. Political observers view the move as part of a coordinated effort between provincial and federal authorities to contain extremist groups after a recent rise in religiously motivated violence.

Separately, the Punjab Public Prosecution Department appointed two special prosecutors to handle all terrorism cases against the TLP in Lahore and Sheikhupura. Advocate Supreme Court Rana Shakeel Ahmed Khan and Advocate High Court Chaudhry Khalid Rasheed were named as special prosecutors under Section 18 of the ATA.

According to the official notification, they will assist investigation teams, prepare case files, and represent the state before anti-terrorism courts and the Lahore High Court in all related proceedings.

The government’s latest actions signal an aggressive shift from reactive crackdowns to structural measures aimed at neutralising the TLP’s organisational strength and curbing its street mobilisation power. Whether these measures succeed, analysts say, will depend on consistent enforcement and coordination between provincial and federal authorities — something past efforts have struggled to sustain.