ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Federal Cabinet on Thursday unanimously approved declaring the hardline Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) a proscribed organization under the Anti-Terrorism Act, according to an official statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The PMO said the decision followed a detailed briefing on the group’s “violent and terrorist activities” and was taken on the recommendation of the Punjab government.
“The Cabinet was informed that since its establishment in 2016, the organization has instigated unrest and chaos nationwide,” the statement read.
The move comes days after TLP staged a violent protest in Punjab during a march towards the federal capital, Islamabad. Clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement agencies in Muridke left casualties on both sides.
According to official figures, one Station House Officer (SHO) of Punjab Police was martyred, 48 others were injured, and 17 sustained gunshot wounds. Authorities reported that three TLP protesters and one bystander were killed, while eight civilians were injured.
The PMO further noted that TLP had violated assurances made in 2021, when a previous ban was lifted on the condition that the group would refrain from violent and disruptive actions.
“The decision also cites TLP’s violation of those 2021 assurances as one of the reasons for reinstating the ban,” the statement added.
TLP was previously banned in 2020 after a series of violent demonstrations and disruptions to public order. The proscription was lifted in November 2021 following an agreement with the then-government to end anti-France protests. Those protests had resulted in deadly clashes, causing the deaths of six police officers and four demonstrators.
Concluding the briefing, the PMO said:
“The Federal Cabinet unanimously concluded that TLP is involved in terrorism and violent activities, and therefore, its proscription under the law is necessary.”
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