LAHORE:
Tehreek-e-Labbaik supporters reached Muridke on Saturday on their way to Islamabad, after staging an overnight sit-in in Shahdara following violent clashes with police that left dozens injured and parts of the provincial capital paralyzed.
TLP supporters, led by party chief Saad Hussain Rizvi, began their “March to Gaza” from Multan Road on Friday afternoon to “express solidarity with Palestine.”
The march was organized in defiance of Section 144 imposed by the Punjab government, which subsequently sealed the main exit points from Lahore in an attempt to block the demonstration’s progress towards Islamabad.
The TLP accused the police of using excessive force against protest participants in Shahdara and other parts of Lahore, alleging that officers fired live ammunition and tear gas grenades.
The party claimed that around two dozen of its workers were killed and more than 200 injured as a result of what it called “police brutality.” However, the claim could not be independently verified.
Meanwhile, police claimed that TLP activists had attacked law enforcement officers with stones and iron bars, injuring more than 100 police officers and damaging public and private property. “The police acted with the utmost restraint,” an official said, adding that no live ammunition was used.
After an hours-long standoff on Friday, protesters staged a sit-in in Shahdara, in the northern end of Lahore. By Saturday afternoon, the rally had reached Muridke, where TLP leaders announced they would spend the night before resuming the march towards Islamabad on Sunday.
Meanwhile, authorities in Islamabad and Rawalpindi maintained high alert, blocking all major entry points with shipping containers, suspending metro bus services and partially cutting mobile internet connection in anticipation of the arrival of protesters.
TLP leaders insist their march is a “peaceful display of solidarity with Gaza,” while the government accuses the group of “exploiting religious sentiment for political purposes.”
The confrontation marks another tense episode in the TLP’s history of what are believed to be disruptive protests, underscoring the party’s ability to mobilize thousands of people and challenge state authority on the streets.
The police spokesperson said that the TLP’s violent and armed protest has no other purpose than to disturb the peace and order of the country, create difficulties for the public and exercise violence against police personnel. This cannot in any way be considered an expression of solidarity with the oppressed people of Gaza.
According to the spokesperson, a peace agreement has been reached in Gaza and the Muslims there express their gratitude to the Almighty for the restoration of peace, feeling satisfied and relieved.
Meanwhile, the TLP, by resorting to “vandalism” in Pakistan, seeks to achieve its malicious objectives, he said, adding that these actions clearly show that the TLP has no concern for establishing peace in Gaza, and this anarchic behavior is akin to strengthening the mission of Israeli extremists.
The spokesperson noted that the armed groups present during the protest violently attacked police personnel and at the same time created a narrative of victimhood on social media to deceive the public.
The kidnapping of police officers and the brutal violence inflicted on them does not, in any way, represent the cause of the Muslims of Palestine; rather, it is a direct challenge to the state’s mandate, which cannot be tolerated under any circumstances, the spokesperson said.
He also maintained that those who take justice into their own hands will be treated with an iron fist and that the dignity of the State will not be compromised. “The public is urged to stay away from rumours, avoid supporting disruptive elements and fully cooperate with the police to maintain peace and order.”
Meanwhile, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has intervened to help defuse tensions arising from the ongoing TLP protest, sources said on Saturday.
The cleric held telephonic talks with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and federal government representative Rana Sanaullah, urging both sides to resolve the issue peacefully.
Following his request, talks reportedly began between the government and TLP leaders.
The JUI-F chief stressed the need to resolve the matter amicably through dialogue and understanding, warning that the country cannot afford more clashes in the current circumstances, the sources added.
