Police say five killed as religious group protests in northeastern Pakistan

At least five people were killed in running battles between police and protesters from a hard-line religious group in Pakistan’s northeastern Punjab province, security officials said Monday.

Punjab police chief Usman Anwar said officers launched an operation in the town of Muridke, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) from the provincial capital, Lahore, to disperse “a violent mob belonging to Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan,” or TLP.

Police said the protesters attacked officers with stones, batons and petrol bombs before opening fire, killing one police officer.

Officers said they returned fire in self-defense, killing three protesters. A bystander was also caught in the crossfire and killed.

Dozens of others were injured in the unrest.

The mob set fire to about 40 government and private vehicles, police said.

Authorities added that several rioters were arrested and a search operation was underway.

Karachi situation

As of Monday noon, no major disruptions had been reported in the metropolis, though minor demonstrations continued in a few areas.

The protests followed Sunday’s unrest, when workers of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) took to the streets in several parts of the city, triggering traffic disruptions.

Protests were mainly reported around Power House, Anda Mor, and New Karachi’s Sindhi Hotel and adjoining areas, causing congestion and unease in the locality.

Police officials said additional contingents had been called in to manage the situation, while heavy deployment remained in place across key points to prevent any untoward incident.

What protesters say?

TLP, however, accused police of using live ammunition and hand grenades to disperse demonstrators.

The group claimed that multiple protesters were killed and hundreds injured, including its chief, Saad Hussain Rizvi, who allegedly suffered three gunshot wounds. The government has not confirmed his condition or the group’s casualty claims.

Police confirmed the death of Shehzad Nawaz, a station house officer in Sheikhupura, saying he “laid down his life in the line of duty.”

The unrest followed a TLP-organized “Labbaik Ya Aqsa Million March,” planned as a rally in support of Palestinians.

Tensions escalated after a police raid on the group’s Lahore headquarters last week, which TLP said left two people dead and several injured.

Authorities have since imposed Section 144 — banning public gatherings — across Punjab, including the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Schools in Lahore were closed following roadblocks.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry warned late Friday that no group would be allowed to enter Islamabad or take the law into its own hands.

Tensions remain high across Punjab as TLP calls for continued demonstrations and nationwide closures.

What is TLP?

Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan was founded in 2015 by the late cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi, a firebrand preacher of the Barelvi Sunni school of thought.

The group gained prominence through mass protests defending Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, which carry the death penalty for insulting the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Under Rizvi’s son and current leader, Saad Rizvi, the party has frequently staged large, disruptive demonstrations mixing religious populism with anti-Western and anti-minority rhetoric.

TLP was briefly banned in 2021 under Pakistan’s anti-terrorism laws after deadly clashes over the French ambassador’s expulsion.

The ban was lifted later that year following negotiations with the government.

The group has since been linked to several incidents of mob violence, including the 2023 arson attack that destroyed 21 churches in Punjab’s Jaranwala town.