Punjab police ‘find gold’ in raid on TLP chief’s residence

Punjab Police recovered a substantial amount of gold, cash and foreign currency during a raid on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan chief Saad Rizvi’s residence, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

According to a Punjab Police spokesperson, the operation, carried out in coordination with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Cyber ​​Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), led to the recovery of millions of rupees in cash, including foreign currency and jewellery.

Authorities stated that police recovered 144.4 million rupees in Pakistani currency, along with gold and jewelery valued at more than 63.4 million rupees. The recovery included 1,922 grams of gold in the form of rings, bracelets, chains, lockets, bangles and other items.

Authorities also recovered 898 grams of silver, luxury watches and other valuables.

Additionally, law enforcement officials confiscated foreign currency equivalent to more than 2.5 million rupees, including Indian rupees, British pounds, Canadian dollars, Saudi riyals and UAE dirhams.

The raid was carried out in the presence of representatives of the FIA ​​and the Cyber ​​Crime Agency, who officially documented and verified the recovered items, the police spokesperson said.

While authorities have not revealed details about possible charges or the next phase of the investigation, sources indicated that the recovery is part of a broader investigation into financial irregularities and undeclared assets.

It was reported that one of TLP’s main demands during recent negotiations was the return of seized cash, foreign currency and jewelry, which the group claims were collected through donations from various countries.

The raid was part of a broader crackdown by law enforcement agencies as they tightened the noose around the TLP following protests and days of unrest in Lahore and other cities in Punjab.

TLP supporters, led by the Rizvi party, launched their ‘March to Gaza’ from Multan Road last week to express solidarity with Palestine. The procession reached Muridke, on its way to Islamabad.

Read also: TLP leaders and workers accused of terrorism in Muridke

The march was held in defiance of Section 144 imposed by the Punjab government, which subsequently sealed the main exit points from Lahore to prevent the demonstration from advancing towards the capital.

After negotiations between the government and TLP leaders failed, law enforcement agencies launched a major pre-dawn operation in Muridke on Monday to disperse what officials described as “armed and violent mobs.”

In a statement, a Punjab Police spokesperson said the operation was launched after TLP workers allegedly attacked security personnel with stones, spiked sticks and petrol bombs.

After the operation, a case was registered against the TLP leaders and the workers of the Muridke town police station under the terrorism law and several other criminal charges.

Read: Police file terrorism case against TLP after deadly clashes with Muridke

During the clashes, a police station officer was martyred, while 48 police and Rangers personnel were injured, 17 of them with gunshot wounds. Three TLP protesters and a bystander were killed and eight civilians were reportedly injured.

After the case was registered, heavy police contingents were deployed in and around Muridke to maintain peace and order.

The operation in Muridke triggered scattered protests in other parts of the country, including Karachi, where small groups blocked roads in areas such as northern Karachi and Nagan Chowrangi. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd and also arrested more than a dozen TLP workers and supporters. Two children were injured in stone-throwing incidents.

On Monday night, the motorway police confirmed that traffic had resumed normal flow on M-2 (Lahore-Islamabad), M-3 (Lahore-Abdul Hakeem) and Lahore-Sialkot Expressway. According to police sources, the intensity of street protests in Lahore reduced significantly late on Monday.