Pakistan cabinet approves ban on radical Islamist party TLP
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired the cabinet meeting where the Punjab government’s proposal to outlaw the religious group under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997 was discussed.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement that the cabinet had “unanimously” approved the ban, adding that the home ministry had submitted a summary of the Punjab government’s request and was given a briefing on “TLP’s violence and terrorist activities in the country”.
“At the meeting, it was informed that this organization, which was established in 2016, incited violence throughout the country. There were violent incidents in different parts of the country due to the organization.”
In the statement, it was noted that TLP was also banned in 2021 and that it was lifted after six months on the condition that the party does not engage in unrest and violent activities from now on, and it was stated that one of the reasons for the current ban on the organization is the withdrawal of guarantees given in 2021.
“Security personnel and innocent bystanders have been killed in violent protests and rallies by TLP in the past. Following the briefing given in the meeting and the recommendation of the Punjab government, the federal cabinet unanimously concluded that TLP was involved in terrorism and violent acts,” the statement said. Following the ban, TLP will be included in the list of banned groups maintained by the National Counterterrorism Authority (NACTA). The list already included Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Baluch Liberation Army (BLA), militant groups such as Laskar-e-Toiba and extremist groups such as Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
But before listing, the federal government must refer the matter to the Supreme Court within 15 days of its decision for approval.
Once approved by the supreme court, which has the final power to ban a political party, the group will be included in the list of banned organisations.
Earlier, the decision to ban TLP was taken by the Punjab government at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Maryam Nawaz on October 16, five days after the religio-political party started its protest march in Lahore.
The organization launched a protest described as a “Gaza solidarity” march on October 11 and vowed to reach Islamabad and protest in front of the US embassy. However, he camped in Muridke, about 60 km from Lahore, and was forcibly dispersed on 13 October.
Approximately 16 people, including police officers, died and more than 1,600 people were injured in clashes between the police and TLP supporters in Müridke.
The group has a history of violent protests since 2017, when it launched its first major protest and laid siege to the capital Islamabad.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s anti-cybercrime agency arrested more than 100 social media activists of TLP for provocative posts.
“We have arrested 107 social media activists (of TLP) for provocative posts, besides blocking 75 such accounts,” Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said at a press conference here earlier in the day. he said.
Punjab police claim to have arrested more than 6,000 TLP activists so far following last week’s violent clashes.
The government has so far sealed 61 seminaries run by the radical Islamist party. The Auqaf Department of the Punjab government was also given control of all TLP mosques and seminaries.
The TLP claimed that dozens of its supporters were killed and thousands injured when police opened fire directly on “unarmed” protesters who wanted to express their solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Minister Bokhari also said that the government has identified 3,600 financial supporters of the TLP both inside and outside the country, and that weapons seized from the police by this extremist group in 2021 were also used in recent violent protests.
Warning that the Punjab government will make it impossible for anyone who takes up arms against the state to operate freely, he emphasized that the order of the state is supreme and there will be no compromise on the protection of citizens’ lives and property.
The minister called for the immediate surrender of all illegal weapons and warned that anyone involved in incitement or violence would be punished under cyber laws.
He announced that the licenses of 28 arms dealers have already been suspended and that no new arms licenses will be issued in the state of Punjab.
