Section 144 extended as Punjab govt mulls TLP ban after violent protests

The Punjab government is considering banning the right-wing Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan following violent protests, as it extends Section 144 across the province, prohibiting all forms of public gatherings, rallies, processions, and sit-ins.

The provincial government is weighing a ban on the right-wing party after scores of policemen were injured while trying to prevent the party from marching to Islamabad from Lahore

This would be the second time the party risks being banned; the first was briefly in 2021, following similar street clashes.

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The TLP had planned to march to Islamabad to protest outside the U.S. Embassy in a show of solidarity with Palestinians. As police and protesters clashed, demonstrators set fire to scores of vehicles, and 48 policemen were injured.

Following failed negotiations, the government moved to crack down, launching a six-hour operation at 3 am in Muridke to disperse the protest. This led to mass arrests, with the TLP claiming the deaths of several workers, including conflicting reports that party chief Saad Rizvi had been shot and injured.

In light of the violence, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and her law-and-order team decided to place the TLP on the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act—a law that allows the government to restrict the travel, speech, and business activities of individuals linked to a banned organization.

Punjab enforces Section 144

With a crackdown underway against TLP that could potentially trigger widespread protests in the province, the Punjab government has imposed Section 144 across the province

Read More: Punjab govt pushes for ban on rightwing TLP after Muridke clashes

An official notification issued by the Home Department states that the ban applies to all public gatherings of four or more people, aiming to maintain law and order and safeguard lives and property amid growing security threats.

The section, which was initially imposed on October 8 due to looming TLP protest, has been extended until October 18, citing threats to public order and security.

Under the order, display of weapons in public has been strictly prohibited, while the use of loudspeakers has also been banned except for azan and Friday sermons. The notification further states that the publication and distribution of hate speech, provocative material, or sectarian material is completely banned throughout Punjab.

Authorities warned that large gatherings could serve as soft targets for terrorists, while anti-state elements might exploit public protests to carry out subversive activities.

However, the government clarified that the restrictions do not apply to weddings, funerals, or burial ceremonies, and that government officials on duty are exempt from the order.

The Punjab Home Department has directed widespread public awareness campaigns about the imposition of Section 144 to ensure compliance and maintain peace across the province.

The TLP was formed in 2015 by Saad Rizvi’s father, the cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi, to act as a pressure group on the blasphemy laws.

Under the ban, TLP’s properties and assets would be taken over by the Auqaf Department. Its posters, banners, and advertisements are banned. Its social media accounts will be blocked, and its bank accounts frozen.

In addition to this, the Punjab government is enforcing the Loudspeaker Act that prohibits the use of loud, unnecessary noise that could disturb comfort, health and safety.

Also read: Case registered against TLP chief, 21 others

The Punjab Home Department has also given people one month to surrender illegal arms and register legal weapons. It increased the punishment for possessing illegal arms to 14 years in jail and a fine of up to Rs2 million.

In 2021, the TLP was briefly banned for staging a country-wide protest, with Punjab at the epicenter. The ban was lifted after eight months when TLP supporters protested to demand TLP chief Saad Rizvi’s release.

After the ban was lifted, the TLP made a comeback to emerge as the third-largest party in Punjab in the general elections.