Punjab intensifies crackdown on TLP, freezes national, international bank accounts

Punjab’s Minister for Information, Azma Bukhari announced a sweeping crackdown on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan and its supporters, saying that individuals financing the group will face terrorism charges as government has frozen 95 bank accounts linked to party and its leader Saad Rizvi.

"95 bank accounts and properties registered in the name of Saad Rizvi have been sealed. The leadership of the religious organisation has been divided into three tiers, and a crackdown is currently underway against them," said Azma Bukhari addressing a press conference in Lahore on Tuesday.

Provincial minister added that the government has also identified 3,800 additional national and international bank accounts allegedly used to provide financial support to the group.

The move comes as the Punjab cabinet last week approved imposing a ban on TLP and forwarded a summary to the federal government for further action. A final decision is expected within days and it will be enforced in letter and spirit, the minister said.

Bukhari said, 'well-educated and prominent figures' are supporting the TLP. She accused the group of spreading propaganda regarding casualties. Referring to the violent incident in Muridke, she said, three civilians were killed and 45 others injured, while 110 police personnel also sustained injuries during the clashes.

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Bukhari disclosed, "Significant assets have been recovered from Saad Rizvi’s residence, including 1.92 kilograms of gold, 898 grams of silver, 69 branded watches, several ornaments, and 50,000 Indian rupees." She expressed alarm at the scale of TLP’s finances and the involvement of educated individuals in what she described as 'a threat to national peace'.

She specifically mentioned that the crackdown is targeting the group’s top leadership, financiers, and digital operatives, who are promoting the unrest. “The state is pursuing all three groups with full force,” she said.

The minister said that the Punjab government had taken control of 330 mosques previously associated with TLP. These mosques will remain open for regular prayers, but any political or provocative activity will be strictly prohibited. She reiterated zero tolerance for violations of the Loudspeaker Act, urging religious leaders to confine loudspeaker use solely to the call for prayer.

She confirmed that TLP founder Khadim Hussain Rizvi’s grave would not be relocated but warned that the government would not allow it to be used for fundraising or inciting public gatherings. “No one will be allowed to exploit the grave for provocative or financial purposes,” she asserted.

Bukhari further revealed that 223 madaris, linked to TLP, have been geo-tagged. Most will reopen soon, except for a few flagged by security agencies. These institutions will be handed over to moderate Sunni scholars, she added, noting that six of TLP seminaries were built on government-owned land.

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Warning against online radicalisation, Bukhari urged parents to monitor their children’s activities. “Your children were not born to become someone’s cannon fodder,” she said, adding that many parents approach authorities after their children are arrested, unaware of their involvement in illegal activities and protests.

She cautioned that those using social media to incite violence on platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook would be charged under anti-terrorism laws. “These people will carry a criminal record. They won’t be eligible for university admissions, visas, or any state facility,” she warned.

Addressing rumors surrounding Saad Rizvi and his brother, the minister denied reports that they were injured or killed during the crackdown. “Both brothers are being traced. They are alive and will soon be brought to justice,” she confirmed.

Punjab police ‘strike gold’ in raid on TLP chief’s residence

Punjab Police have recovered a substantial quantity of gold, cash, and foreign currency during a raid at the residence of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan chief Saad Rizvi, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

According to a spokesperson for the Punjab Police, the operation, conducted in coordination with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), led to the recovery of millions of rupees in cash including foreign currency and jewellery.

Authorities stated that police recovered Rs144.4 million in Pakistani currency, along with gold and jewellery valued at over Rs63.4 million. The recovery included 1,922 grams of gold in the form of rings, bracelets, chains, lockets, bangles, and other items.

Authorities also recovered 898 grams of silver, luxury watches and other valuables.

In addition, law enforcement officials confiscated foreign currency equivalent to more than Rs2.5 million, including Indian rupees, pound sterling, Canadian dollars, Saudi riyeals and UAE dirhams.

The raid was carried out in the presence of FIA and Cyber Crime Agency representatives, who officially documented and verified the recovered items, the police spokesperson said.

TLP Protest

The raid was part of a broader crackdown by law enforcement agencies as they tightened noose around TLP following protests and days of unrest in Lahore and other cities across Punjab.

Supporters of the TLP, led by party Rizvi, had launched their 'Gaza March' from Multan Road last week to express solidarity with Palestine. The procession reached Muridke, en route to Islamabad.

Also Read: TLP leadership, workers booked under terrorism charges in Muridke

The march was held in defiance of Section 144 imposed by the Punjab government, that subsequently sealed major exit points from Lahore to prevent the rally’s advance towards the capital.

After negotiations between the government and TLP leadership failed, law enforcement agencies launched a major pre-dawn operation in Muridke on Monday to disperse what officials described as 'armed and violent mobs'.

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

Following the operation, a case was registered against TLP leadership and workers at the Muridke city police station under terrorism act and various other criminal charges.

Read: Police file terrorism case against TLP after deadly Muridke clashes

During the clashes, one Station House Officer was martyred, while 48 personnel from the police and Rangers sustained injuries, 17 of them suffering gunshot wounds. Three TLP protesters and one passerby were killed, and eight civilians were reportedly injured.

After the case was registered, heavy police contingents were deployed in and around Muridke to maintain peace and order.

The operation in Muridke triggered scattered protests in other parts of the country, including Karachi, where small groups blocked roads in areas like North Karachi and Nagan Chowrangi. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowds and also arrested over a dozen TLP supporters and workers. Two children were injured in stone-throwing incidents.