LAHORE: A large number of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) supporters reached Muridke on Saturday afternoon as they continued their march on Islamabad to stage a protest in what the group described as a show of solidarity with Palestinians.
Thousands of TLP supporters began marching on Islamabad on Saturday morning, following violent clashes with police in Lahore.
Participants of TLP rally are facing major road blockades on their way to Islamabad, with authorities placing large containers and trucks on motorways, the GT Road, and key intersections to prevent them from advancing towards the capital.
The TLP launched its anti-Israel protest rally on Thursday, announcing that it would march to the US embassy in Islamabad to protest the American-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas after two years of war in Gaza.
Clashes between Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) workers and police were reported earlier in the day in Lahore’s Shahdara area, leaving at least 40 police personnel injured. The TLP claimed that more than 10 of its workers were killed in the clashes with law enforcement agencies.
Police contingents have been deployed along the GT Road to prevent the rally from advancing further, while road blockades and heightened security measures have caused severe traffic disruptions in several parts of Lahore and its adjoining areas.
‘Religious party spreading chaos under hidden agenda’
Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Lahore, Muhammad Faisal Kamran, has accused the TLP of spreading violence and chaos in the country under a hidden agenda.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Saturday, DIG Kamran said that whenever Pakistan begins progressing on the path of development, certain groups emerge to create unrest in the country.
He said that law enforcement agencies repeatedly engaged with the religious-political group, urging them to postpone their protest and find a peaceful solution. However, he added, the group refused to back down and resorted to violent demonstrations.
The DIG revealed that at least 112 Punjab police personnel had been injured during the clashes, with several still under treatment at various hospitals.
“Some of our personnel have also gone missing, and we fear they may be in the custody of the group’s workers,” he said.
Responding to a question, DIG Kamran said the violent mobs vandalised public property, snatched vehicles from citizens, looted valuables, and even attacked police stations.
“They also damaged infrastructure along the Orange Line route,” he added.
He said over 100 miscreants involved in violence had been arrested. “Ironically, those for whom this group claims to be protesting are themselves satisfied with the agreement reached — yet this party continues to create unrest for no reason,” he said.
Kamran warned that if the group continued to harass ordinary citizens, the state was fully prepared to deal with them.
The DIG said efforts were being made to minimise damage to public property. “We are reviewing Safe City footage to identify those involved in violence, and strict legal action will be taken. The state will not tolerate any form of violent activity,” he asserted.