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Pakistan cracks down after TLP march turns violent in Lahore

Police raids, clashes, and live-fire claims spark closures and disruption amid fears of further unrest

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Laiba Zainab

Correspondent

Laiba Zainab is an award-winning journalist with nearly a decade of experience in digital media. She has received the DW & CEJ-IBA Data Journalism Award and the top digital media prize at the National Media Fellowship. At NUKTA, she covers underreported stories on health, crime, and social justice.

Pakistan cracks down after TLP march turns violent in Lahore

TLP Chief Saad Rizvi leads Labbaik Ya Aqsa Million March

Nukta

A protest march by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) turned violent on Friday, prompting a sweeping security clampdown in Lahore and the federal capital region.

Launched under the banner of the Labbaik Ya Aqsa Million March, the rally was intended to show solidarity with Palestinians. But clashes between TLP supporters and police quickly descended into chaos.

The unrest followed a police crackdown that began on Oct. 9, when security forces raided the party’s Lahore headquarters. TLP leaders said the operation killed two supporters, left 15 seriously injured, and caused more than 50 minor injuries. Authorities have not confirmed the casualties.

On Friday morning, the situation worsened as reports surfaced of firing and shelling on TLP workers near the party headquarters. Later in the day, the group launched its march, announcing an overnight sit-in at Azadi Chowk.

TLP claimed police fired live bullets from the Minar-e-Pakistan bridge at peaceful demonstrators, causing multiple injuries and unconfirmed deaths. The party condemned the government’s actions as “state brutality.”

“Has the state of Pakistan fallen asleep? Are the high-ranking officials blind to this oppression?” the group asked in a statement.

Section 144 was imposed across Punjab, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi, banning all public gatherings and protests.

The Punjab Education Department ordered all schools, colleges, and universities in Lahore closed by late morning. Exams, including those at the University of the Punjab’s Law Department, were abruptly cancelled.

Originally planning to camp at Azadi Chowk, TLP shifted its rally point to Shahdara Bridge after police sealed roads. TLP chief Saad Rizvi vowed the group would march to Islamabad “at any cost,” raising fears of fresh confrontation.

Authorities blocked key roads with shipping containers in Lahore, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi. Mobile internet services were suspended across the twin cities.

“The Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control has accorded approval to suspend 3G/4G services in the twin cities […] until further orders,” an official notification said.

The restrictions disrupted daily life. Commuters faced gridlock, while communication blackouts hampered access to emergency services and news updates.

Founded in 2015 by cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi, TLP follows the Barelvi Sunni school of thought and is known for hardline views on blasphemy laws. Under Rizvi’s son, Saad Rizvi, the group has staged multiple disruptive protests.

Its demonstrations have repeatedly tested state authority – from the 2017 Islamabad sit-in that toppled a minister, to violent rallies after the 2018 acquittal of a Christian woman accused of blasphemy, and protests in 2021 over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). In 2023, the group was linked to a mob attack that destroyed 21 churches in Punjab’s Jaranwala town.

As of late Friday, neither the Punjab nor the federal government had confirmed casualty figures from the clashes. Tensions remained high in Lahore and Islamabad, with fears of further violence.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry visited Faizabad late Friday night to review security.

Meeting with police and paramilitary forces, Naqvi praised their role in maintaining order. “You are the soldiers of Pakistan; your role is crucial in upholding the rule of law,” he said.

He warned that no group would be allowed to enter Islamabad by force or take the law into its own hands. Senior police and administrative officials accompanied the minister during the visit.

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