Govt quashes TLP Muridke protest

LAHORE:

At least five people—including a police officer, three Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) workers, and a passerby—were killed as law enforcement agencies carried out a major pre-dawn operation in Muridke on Monday to disperse what officials described as "armed and violent mobs."

According to official sources, the crackdown came amid a multi-day protest march by the TLP supporters moving from Lahore toward Islamabad in what the group called a pro-Palestine demonstration.

In a statement, the Punjab Police spokesperson said the operation began after TLP workers "attacked security personnel with stones, spiked sticks, and petrol bombs".

The protesters, he claimed, opened "indiscriminate fire," on law enforcers when they were ordered to disperse, prompting a "limited defensive response" from the forces.

During the firing, one station house officer (SHO) was martyred, while 48 police and Rangers personnel sustained injuries, including 17 hit by gunfire. Three TLP protesters and one passerby also lost their lives, while eight civilians sustained injuries.

"Law enforcement agencies were compelled to act in self-defence. The operation was conducted to restore public safety and clear national highways," the statement said.

Officials added that the rioters torched 40 government and private vehicles, and multiple arrests were made. A search operation remains underway to trace those involved in the violence. "The Punjab Police will never allow armed mobs to endanger citizens' lives or disrupt peace," it concluded.

In a separate statement, Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Usman Anwar reiterated that TLP chief Hafiz Saad Hussain Rizvi was "safe and not in custody," refuting viral social media claims of his arrest or injury. "There is no truth to the rumours," the IGP said, urging citizens to rely on verified information.

The operation in Muridke triggered scattered protests in other parts of the country, including Karachi, where small groups blocked roads in North Karachi and Nagan Chowrangi before being dispersed with tear gas. Two children were injured during stone-throwing incidents, while police arrested around a dozen TLP supporters.

The police later registered a case against the leadership and workers of the TLP at the City Muridke Police Station under terrorism and multiple other criminal charges.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), TLP workers allegedly attacked a police party, set government vehicles on fire, and created chaos and fear among the public after authorities moved to disperse their protest camp near Muridke.

The report stated that the mob was armed and resorted to violence when police attempted to clear the route. The protesters allegedly killed SHO Factory Area, damaged several police and private vehicles, and took some officers hostage.

Police invoked sections 6 and 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997, along with 302 (murder), 435 (mischief by fire), 431 (mischief in public roads), and numerous other sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), including 120B, 121A, 143, 147, 148, 149, 186, 427, 188, and 290, among others.

Law enforcement sources said that the FIR also mentions the use of loudspeakers and the violation of the Punjab Sound Systems Regulation Act 2015 and Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance 1960.

Following the registration of the case, heavy contingents of police were deployed in and around Muridke to maintain law and order.

Roads leading to the city remain blocked, while traffic diversions were set up by the Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) at multiple entry points to Lahore and adjoining districts. Police officials said raids were underway to arrest those involved in the violence.

In Islamabad and Rawalpindi, law enforcement agencies continued to enforce Section 144, sealing entry points and maintaining alert status around Faizabad and the Islamabad Expressway. Mobile internet, which had been partially suspended in the twin cities since Friday, was restored Monday evening.

By Monday night, motorway police confirmed that traffic was flowing normally on the M-2 (Lahore–Islamabad), M-3 (Lahore–Abdul Hakeem), and Lahore–Sialkot Motorway.

"All motorways from Lahore are open for traffic and operations are normal," Motorway Police spokesperson Imran Shah told media outlets

The restoration followed two days of intermittent closures and diversions imposed to prevent TLP's convoy from advancing toward the capital.

The scale of street protests in Lahore appeared to decline significantly by Monday night.

Police sources said demonstrations that erupted earlier from a dozen points across the city had been reduced to three key locations—Shimla Pahari, Samanabad towards Scheme Mor, and Thokar Niaz Beg—with small groups attempting to block roads.

Authorities maintained a heavy police presence at these intersections, where minor scuffles were reported but no major violence occurred. Traffic police said diversions were in place, and public transport had mostly resumed normal operations.

Authorities had sealed major entry points along GT Road and suspended internet access in several districts to pre-empt escalation. Despite repeated government appeals, the group refused to disperse, leading to the Monday operation in Muridke.

As calm returned to most parts of Punjab, officials said "the writ of the state has been restored" but warned of further action against those inciting unrest. Rights activists and opposition figures, meanwhile, called for transparency and restraint in handling detainees.

By late Monday night, Lahore's roads were open, and traffic on the motorway network had normalized. However, heavy police deployment remained in Muridke, Shahdara, and Samanabad amid fears of sporadic flare-ups.

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said the government "will not allow anyone to hold the public hostage or attack the state." She warned that those involved in armed resistance would be tried under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).

The TLP launched its "long march" from Lahore's Yateem Khana Chowk on Friday, vowing to reach Islamabad to stage a sit-in outside the US Embassy in support of Palestinians.

The group, led by Hafiz Saad Rizvi—son of late firebrand cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi—has a history of disruptive demonstrations over religious and foreign policy issues.