Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari has said that a decision to ban the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) is “expected soon” as the federal cabinet is set to meet later today, wherein the matter of proscribing the religious party is expected to be taken up.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Thursday, Bokhari referred to the recent violent TLP protest and said those who came out on streets for the “liberation of Gaza and Palestine” set light to properties.
“The decision regarding TLP is expected from the federal government soon,” the provincial minister said, referring to the Punjab government’s summary forwarded to the Centre seeking ban on the religious party.
She further said that police personnel were tortured, and their vehicles were snatched by the TLP protesters.
“Civil property was damaged and vehicles were set on fire,” the minister said adding that arms licence of any kind will not be issued in Punjab from now on.
“We have to move towards the determination to make Punjab free of arms,” she added.
Bokhari said TLP’s account have been frozen and their financiers have been identified.
The move follows a series of violent demonstrations by the TLP that left several dead and many injured. The unrest erupted earlier this month after police dismantled a TLP protest camp in Muridke, leading to confrontations that resulted in the death of a police station house officer and three others, including a passerby. At least 1,648 police personnel were injured, some by gunfire, while dozens of vehicles and commercial properties were torched.
On Wednesday, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz chaired an extraordinary meeting approving decisive measures to curb extremism and reinforce law and order across the province. The meeting authorised strict action against anyone taking up arms against the state and finalised steps to strengthen the rule of law and public safety.
The government ordered strict enforcement of the Loudspeaker Act and directed the establishment of whistle-blower cells in every district to encourage reporting of suspicious activity. A dedicated cell within the Punjab Police Helpline 15 will be set up to receive complaints and intelligence on extremist groups and illegal international residents. Citizens have been urged to call 15 with relevant information.
Additional measures include intensified operations against illegal weapons, corruption, and mafia networks, alongside making peace committees more active and inclusive. Mobile police stations will soon be deployed to increase accessibility to police services. The government also banned advertisements and posters promoting extremist organisations and warned property owners against renting to illegal residents.
The Punjab government had sent a summary seeking a ban on the TLP, signaling a firm response to recent unrest, aiming to restore public order and reinforce the writ of the state.
Earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif emphasised that Pakistan must act as a “hard state” to curb extremism, stating that religious extremist groups formed in the name of religion are unacceptable. He reiterated that the state would now function strictly according to law and the constitution.
