- Federal Cabinet chaired by PM Shehbaz Sharif approves Interior Ministry’s summary following Punjab’s request
- Summary accused TLP of repeated violence, attacks on police, and property damage
- Adviser to PM Sanaullah claims ban not political, aimed at ‘purging it of anti-state and terrorist elements’
- Azma Bokhari reveals 3,800 financiers linked to TLP identified and funding channels blocked under anti-terrorism laws
- Alleges authorities had recovered gold, silver, 68 rare watches, and other valuables from residence of TLP chief
- Says Punjab govt freezes 95 accounts, seals madressahs and traces properties registered under benami ownership
ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Thursday approved a ban on the religio-political party Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), following a request from the Punjab government citing the group’s extremist activities and a spate of violent protests earlier this month that left several injured and disrupted law and order across Punjab.
The decision, taken during a meeting of the federal cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, came on the recommendation of the Punjab government. According to a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said the summary—presented by the Ministry of Interior—was “unanimously approved” after a detailed briefing on the “violent and terrorist activities” attributed to the TLP.
وفاقی کابینہ نے متفقہ طور پر ٹی ایل پی (TLP) کو انسداد دہشت گردی ایکٹ کے تحت کالعدم قرار دینے کی منظوری دے دی۔
پنجاب حکومت کی درخواست پر وزارت داخلہ نے سمری وفاقی کابینہ میں پیش کی۔ وفاقی کابینہ کو ملک میں ٹی ایل پی (TLP) کی پر تشدد اور دہشت گردانہ سرگرمیوں پر بریفنگ دی گئی۔… pic.twitter.com/pdNUyPbKu8
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) October 23, 2025
The meeting was briefed that the organisation, founded in 2016, had repeatedly incited violence and provoked unrest in different parts of the country. It recalled that the group had previously been banned in 2021 under the ATA, but the prohibition was lifted six months later on assurances that the party would renounce violence. “However, the organisation has reneged on its guarantees,” the statement said, citing fresh evidence of violent behaviour during recent demonstrations.
According to the PMO statement, the cabinet concluded that the TLP’s persistent involvement in terrorism, loss of life, and damage to public property warranted immediate legal action. “Security personnel and innocent bystanders have been killed in violent protests and rallies by the TLP,” the release added.
‘Ban Aimed at Purging Extremist Elements’
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, while speaking on a TV Channel, clarified that the objective of the ban was “not to eliminate any political party, but to purge it of anti-state and terrorist elements.”
He emphasised that the government had no objection to the TLP’s religious views but could not tolerate its violent methods. “Every time the group holds protests, it leads to chaos, casualties, and paralysis of civic life, as seen during the 2017 Faizabad sit-in,” he noted.
Sanaullah added that the TLP had been banned once before in 2021, and its latest actions showed it had violated the undertaking made at that time not to engage in violent activities again.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, in a separate television interview, said the party’s conduct had “crossed all limits of extremism.” He said the interior ministry had reviewed reports from all provinces on TLP’s decade-long activities, including incitement of sectarianism and attacks on minorities. “Those who adopt the path of violence have no right to claim political freedoms,” he remarked.
Legal Path and Implications
Under the Anti-Terrorism Act, groups designated as proscribed face asset freezes, travel bans, and restrictions on public gatherings. The National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA) maintains the official list of banned outfits and individuals, which currently includes extremist groups such as the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, Jaish-i-Mohammad, and the Baloch Liberation Army.
In the case of a political entity, the Constitution’s Article 17(2) allows the federal government to declare that a party is acting “in a manner prejudicial to the sovereignty or integrity of Pakistan.” However, such a declaration must be referred to the Supreme Court within fifteen days, whose decision is final.
Legal experts note that while the federal government can impose an administrative ban, the Supreme Court retains the ultimate authority to dissolve a political party. The government may also invoke Section 212 of the Elections Act 2017, which similarly mandates judicial approval before a political organisation can be permanently outlawed.
Punjab Government’s Role and Evidence
Earlier, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari told reporters in Lahore that the provincial government had submitted a detailed summary to the Centre recommending the ban.
At a press conference, Bokhari said recent violent protests by the TLP had prompted an extensive review of the party’s activities and its role in undermining public safety. She said the Punjab government had suspended licences of 28 arms dealers, sealed shops of illegal weapons sellers, and initiated strict enforcement of gun laws.
ٹی ایل پی کے کارکنوں نے 2025 میں پولیس سے جو اینٹی رائٹ میٹریل چھینا اس میں 197 ہیلمٹ،22 کٹس، 130 سیفٹی شیلڈز، 1 آنسو گیس گن ،اور 984 آنسوگیس شیل اور دیگر سامان شامل ہے بعد میں یہ خود پولیس کے خلاف استعمال کیں اور الزام پولیس پر ہی عائد کر دیا، یہ لوگ اپنا ساز و سامان پہلے سے… pic.twitter.com/sH1RKs3NJF
— Sabir Mehmood Hashmi (@SabirMehmood26) October 23, 2025
“There is zero tolerance for the illegal possession and sale of arms,” she said, adding that more than one million citizens in Punjab currently hold weapons licences, creating a major challenge for law enforcement.
Citing official data, Bokhari said TLP activists had repeatedly attacked police, snatching arms, ammunition, and anti-riot gear. During the 2021 protests, they had seized 3,498 tear gas shells, 23 tear gas guns, 326 anti-riot kits, two pistols, and 11 submachine guns. In the latest unrest, she said, protesters damaged eight police vehicles and snatched weapons including 945 bullets, 197 helmets, and 984 tear gas shells.
“They even damaged Safe City cameras,” she said, adding that 559 suspects had been remanded for investigation, 161 jailed, and 190 placed on judicial remand. The government had also blocked 75 online links for incitement and arrested 107 individuals spreading hate content.
Bokhari said the Punjab government had launched public hotlines to report extremist activities, and that informants’ identities would be kept confidential. She warned that forcing shopkeepers to close businesses or using coercion in the name of protest would attract terrorism charges.
The minister stressed that the crackdown was not sectarian in nature. “This is not an action against any religious group, but against extremist ideology,” she said. “A total of 130 TLP-linked mosques have been taken into government control and 223 seminaries have been geo-tagged.”
Financing, Leadership, and Wider Crackdown
Bokhari further revealed that 3,800 financiers linked to the TLP had been identified and their funding channels blocked under anti-terrorism laws. Ninety-five bank accounts connected to the party’s leadership had been frozen.
She also alleged that authorities had recovered 1.92 kilograms of gold, 898 grams of silver, 68 rare watches, and other valuables from the residence of TLP chief Saad Rizvi, in addition to properties registered under benami ownership.
According to Punjab officials, Rizvi and his brother Anas had fled to Azad Jammu and Kashmir, where local authorities were assisting in efforts to locate them.
Meanwhile, the management of mosques and madressahs linked to the TLP has been placed under the Auqaf Department’s supervision. “Those renting out property to illegal residents or extremists will face charges under the Tenancy and Passport Acts,” Bokhari warned.
Background: From Protest to Proscription
The latest crackdown follows the TLP’s “Gaza Solidarity March” earlier this month, during which the group vowed to reach Islamabad and stage a protest outside the US embassy. The Punjab government, fearing violence, blocked routes and suspended mobile services in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Protesters gathered at Muridke on October 11 and were dispersed two days later in a pre-dawn operation that triggered clashes and dozens of arrests. The provincial cabinet, led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, met on October 16 and formally recommended that the federal government impose a ban and place the party’s leadership on the ATA’s Fourth Schedule, which tracks individuals suspected of terrorism or sectarianism.
The same meeting also authorised cases against TLP financiers and directed the interior ministry to coordinate with NACTA for national enforcement.
Pakistan had first banned the TLP in April 2021 after similar violent protests, but the decision was reversed in November that year following a deal to end another march towards the capital.
This time, officials say, the state intends to ensure that the group’s return to the streets—and to politics—is not as swift.
