Federal Cabinet approves ban on TLP after Punjab’s recommendation

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet has approved a ban on the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) following a recommendation from the Punjab government, according to sources.

The move comes amid growing concerns over the group’s recent activities and public unrest, as per sources.

According to reports, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened the cabinet meeting, which had a summary proposing the TLP ban on its agenda.

The cabinet authorized the decision to ban the group under Section 11B(1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997.

In 2021, the then government banned the TLP, which was lifted after 6 months on the condition that no unrest or violent acts would be carried out in the country in the future.

The reason for the ban on the organization was also the reneging on the guarantees given in 2021.

In the past, security personnel and innocent passersby were killed in violent protest meetings and rallies of the TLP.

The federal cabinet, after a briefing given at the meeting and the recommendation of the Punjab government, unanimously concluded that the TLP is involved in terrorism and violent acts.

According to sources, the cabinet has asked the federal interior ministry to finish the procedural requirements.

It is worth noting that the Punjab government had previously advised the federal government to put the ban on the TLP led by Saad Rizvi.

Punjab’s Government recommendation

Earlier, the Punjab government on Friday officially approved and forwarded the summary to the federal government for banning the radical party, Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakis­­tan (TLP).

Addressing a press conference, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari stated that the government has sent the recommendation for the ban to the Center, and the legal requirement with regard to the provinces has been fulfilled.

Her statement comes a day after the Punjab government decided to ask the Center to ban the TLP. Meanwhile, there have been reports of authorities going down hard on the TLP since a crackdown on its protest camp in Muridke on Monday.

Bukhari told reporters that the Punjab cabinet approved the decision to recommend a ban and that video footage and details of violent demonstrations on Multan Road, Lahore, and in Muridke have been sent to the federal government.

The material, she said, shows attacks on law enforcement, damage to public property, and scenes of arson and vandalism.

She said 1,648 police personnel were injured during the violent protests and that a police inspector was killed after being shot 26 times.

She warned that accepting the notion that a false allegation can justify killing someone is an extremely dangerous trend that must be stopped.

The minister also criticized profiteering by extremists, saying it is unacceptable for anyone to use religion to amass vast wealth and expensive goods while the state remains a silent spectator.