At least four people were killed and 56 others injured, including police and civilians, during violent clashes in Muridke on Monday amid the long march of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
According to security officials, 48 police and Rangers members were injured, 17 of them by gunfire, while three TLP supporters and a bystander were killed. Eight civilians were also injured.
Police said the operation to disperse TLP supporters was launched after violent clashes broke out during the march. Protesters set fire to about 40 government and private vehicles, causing extensive damage. Security forces later regained full control of Grand Trunk (GT) Road and dispersed the crowd. During the operation several people were arrested.
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Those injured and affected by tear gas were taken to nearby hospitals, while authorities temporarily restricted public movement along the GT Road. The police also took custody of the bodies of the deceased and injured personnel.
Meanwhile, in Rawalpindi, normalcy returned after days of unrest. All public and private educational institutions reopened after a three-day closure, with attendance reported to be normal amid tight security measures. The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education also resumed supplementary matriculation examinations as scheduled.
Read more: TLP protest disrupts traffic, damages vehicles in Karachi
Traffic in Rawalpindi remained largely fluid, although detours near the Faizabad junction were maintained. Commuter movement along Murree Road, Mall Road and Peshawar Road continued without major disruption, and all routes into and out of the city remained open.
