Rana Sanaullah. PHOTO: ARCHIVE
ISLAMABAD:
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Friday ruled out any negotiations with the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), saying the group had been “created in an attempt to cut into the PML-N’s vote bank”.
Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification declaring the TLP a proscribed organization, placing it in the First Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997. A reference will now be sent to the Supreme Court through the Ministry of Justice.
Speaking on a private television channel programme, Sanaullah, in response to a question on the future of the TLP as a political party and whether it remained an option to be used against rival political parties, agreed that the TLP had been used in the past for that purpose and went on to joke that “it was created to steal votes from the PML-N vote bank”.
However, the adviser denied that the TLP’s current fate had anything to do with its previous use as a proxy group, stating that “it was up to the federal cabinet to decide on any dissolution plan.”
“I am not in a position to speak on behalf of the cabinet,” he said, expressing optimism that a decision to dissolve the party will be made.
When asked if the government was open to negotiating with the now-banned group if it offered any guarantees, citing the TLP ban in 2021 and its subsequent lifting, Sanaullah responded by saying: “I think there cannot be any guarantees after the guarantees that were given earlier have already been violated.”
He highlighted that “any party, whether political, religious or academic, involved in terrorist activities can be banned under clause 11b of the Anti-Terrorism Law.”
On October 16, the Punjab government sought a ban on the TLP. This request was approved by the federal cabinet on Thursday.
The Ministry of Home Affairs notification states that the federal government considers the TLP to be involved in acts of terrorism and under Section 11B (1A) of the ATA, it is declared prohibited and included in the First Schedule.
Legal experts point out that the First Schedule lists organizations proscribed under the ATA 1997.
Groups located there face complete restrictions on their activities, including opening offices, holding rallies or participating in any public events. Their funds and bank accounts are frozen and fundraising or financial assistance is prohibited.
Leaders and active members may face travel bans, while their media coverage and social media activity is also prohibited. Authorities can monitor such people by placing them in the Fourth Schedule to track their movements. Even rebranding with a new name is considered illegal, and continuing activities under any name can lead to terrorism charges.
At least five people, including a police officer, three TLP workers and a bystander, were killed when law enforcement carried out a major pre-dawn operation in Muridke on October 13 to disperse what officials described as “armed and violent mobs.”
The crackdown came amid a multi-day protest march by TLP supporters moving from Lahore toward Islamabad in what the group called a pro-Palestine demonstration.
In a high-level meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on October 16, it was agreed that TLP leaders and workers involved in the killing of police officers and destruction of public property will be tried in anti-terrorism courts (ATC).
Police claimed that during the Muridke crackdown, TLP protesters resorted to violence, resulting in 48 police and Rangers personnel being injured and 17 injured by gunfire.
