- The federal cabinet considers TLP to be involved in “terrorist activities.”
- The religious political party faces a ban for the second time after 2021.
- The Ministry of Justice will file a reference before the high court for approval of the ban.
The federal cabinet has given the green light to a ban on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) under the Anti-Terrorism Act following a request from the Punjab government, citing violent protests in the province that left several dead and many injured.
The move follows a series of fierce TLP protests that broke out earlier this month after police dismantled a protest camp in Muridke, sparking clashes that resulted in the death of a station house officer (SHO) and three others, including a bystander.
In today’s session, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the federal cabinet unanimously approved declaring the TLP a proscribed organization under the Anti-Terrorism Act, the statement said.
The summary was submitted by the Ministry of Home Affairs at the request of the Punjab government. Senior officials from Punjab also attended the meeting through video link.
A briefing briefed cabinet members on the TLP’s violent and terrorist activities and its involvement in spreading unrest across the country since its inception in 2016.
The meeting was told that the party’s actions had led to incidents of chaos and unrest in various parts of the country.
It was further claimed that the previous government had also imposed a ban on the TLP in 2021, which was lifted six months later on the condition that the organization refrain from engaging in violent or disruptive activities.
The new ban was imposed after the group violated those safeguards.
The report also recalled that violent protests, meetings and rallies organized by the TLP in the past had led to the deaths of security personnel and innocent bystanders.
After reviewing the report and recommendations of the Punjab government, the federal cabinet came to a unanimous conclusion that the TLP is involved in terrorism and violent activities.
The cabinet also issued directives to the Ministry of Home Affairs to complete legal procedures to enforce the ban.
Well-placed sources said the matter relating to the TLP ban will be sent to the Ministry of Law and Justice, which will formally file a reference before the Supreme Court within 15 days of cabinet approval to comply with the legal requirements.
The TLP would be denotified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) once the top court approves the federal government’s reference, sources added.
