The Ministry of Interior has formally issued a notification banning the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) on Friday, citing party’s connection with terrorism, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
According to the notification issued in Islamabad on Friday, the federal government “has reasonable grounds to believe that the TLP is connected with and concerned in terrorism.”
The notification also said “The federal government hereby orders TLP to be a Proscribed Organisation for the Act and lists the aforesaid organisation in the FIRST SCHEDULE.”
On Thursday, the federal cabinet had approved the recommendation by the Punjab government, seeking a ban on the proscribed organisation. For this purpose, the provincial government had forwarded a summary to the federal government.
A few days ago, a rally organised by TLP in support of Gaza turned violent after clashes broke out with police. Protesters tried to remove containers placed on roads, leading to a confrontation with law enforcement personnel. The situation turned bad, in which a police officer lost his life, and several others were injured.
After this incident, the government imposed a ban on the group, citing its role in creating unrest and threatening public safety.
The federal cabinet proscribed the TLP under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997. A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) after the cabinet meeting said the ban was “unanimously” approved by the federal cabinet.
The interior ministry briefed the cabinet on what it called the TLP’s “violent and terrorist activities”, stressing that the organisation had repeatedly incited unrest across the country.
The group, founded in 2015 as a movement, turned into a political party in 2016. It was previously banned by the PTI government in 2021 after violent protests.
The interior ministry informed the cabinet that the 2021 ban on TLP was lifted after six months on the assurance that it would refrain from violence. It added that the current ban on TLP stemmed from its reneging on those guarantees.
“In the past, security personnel and innocent bystanders have been killed in violent protests and rallies by the TLP,” the PM Office statement said.
Speaking to a private TV channel, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said the intent behind a ban was not to eliminate a party but to purge it of “anti-state and terrorist elements”. He said no one had any issue with TLP’s religious views. But whenever the party staged protests in the past, it “led to violence and loss of life, such as the 2017 Faizabad demonstrations”.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said that the TLP had acted like an extremist group and violated its prior commitments. He said the government had no other option in light of reports submitted by the Punjab government than to ban the party.
The minister said the interior ministry had summoned reports from all provinces about the party’s conduct in the past decade regarding its involvement in violence, targeting of minorities, incitement of sectarianism and other such matters.
Court extends judicial remand of 87 TLP workers
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Friday extended judicial remand of 87 workers of the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan for 14 days. ATC Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqurnain heard the case.
During the hearing, the Investigation Officer (IO) requested an extension in judicial remand of the accused as the process of identification parade was incomplete.
After the hearing, the judge extended judicial remand of all the accused and ordered them to be produced in the court on the next date of hearing, i.e., November 3, 2025.
Reporters Awais Kiyani and Hashir Warraich