LAHORE/ JARANWALA/RAWALPINDI: More than 100 Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) activists were arrested and 112 police personnel injured in violent clashes with police in Lahore on Saturday, as the religio-political party attempted to march on Islamabad in solidarity with Palestinians.
Talking to journalists, Lahore DIG Operations Faisl Kamran said that Shahdara Town police station was vandalised by the TLP activists. “The state has given the right to protest, but no one is allowed to vandalise,” said the police officer. He further said that daily life in Lahore remained suspended due to the protest, adding that citizens’ vehicles were damaged, and belongings were also stolen.
The DIG confirmed, “Over 100 protesters have been arrested and 112 police personnel suffered injuries during the clashes.”
“Doors of negotiations are open for a peaceful solution,” the DIG added.
Day-to-day affairs in Islamabad and Rawalpindi also remain badly affected for the second consecutive day on Saturday due to the closure of roads and internet service suspension amid the protest call by TLP.
Major roads and intersections, including Faizabad interchange and IJP Road, remained completely closed to traffic. The key Faizabad Interchange connecting Rawalpindi and Islamabad was sealed off with shipping containers, while Khanna Pul, Kuri Road, and Dhoke Kala Khan routes also remained closed to traffic.
The Islamabad administration has sealed the Red Zone and placed containers around D-Chowk to block access. The administration has also imposed a complete ban on the entry of heavy vehicles into Rawalpindi, while roads leading to the airport have also been sealed with containers.
Educational institutions are closed while internet service in several parts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi remains suspended for the second consecutive day, causing difficulties for residents and businesses.
The Metro Bus service between Rawalpindi and Islamabad was suspended amid security concerns, while police contingents have been deployed at Faizabad interchange, a site known for the religious party’s previous sit-ins.
All restaurants and hotels in the Faizabad area have also been sealed by the authorities.
The authorities have already imposed Section 144 of the CrPC across Punjab, barring the display of weapons and banning public gatherings.
The measures have been taken in the wake of a protest call in the capital by the Saad Hussain Rizvi-led religious and political party.
The TLP said the protests had originally been organised to oppose the Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, which Pakistan backed, but was now intended to express solidarity with Palestinians. “We have no demands, apart from showing solidarity with the people of Gaza,” senior TLP member Allama Muhammad Irfan told AFP as the protesters set off for Islamabad.
“We have no idea when we will reach Islamabad, but the government is being brutal with us. We are not negotiating with the government at all,” Irfan said.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said that the era of politics based on chaos and blackmail is over, asserting that the government will not yield to any group or agenda. “Whether someone tries to blackmail us with guns or slogans — we will not be intimidated,” he said. “There weren’t as many watches in the Toshakhana as were found in one of their wardrobes, and the amount of money seized from their homes exceeds what’s kept in the State Bank.”
He made these remarks while speaking to the media after inaugurating the Nadra Omega Center in Jaranwala.
Talal Chaudhry said that if the state had chosen to use force, “these people wouldn’t have been able to leave their homes.” He added that the use of force is actually coming from the other side, and despite provocations, the state and its institutions are showing restraint and intend to continue doing so. Speaking on foreign affairs, he claimed that “the issue of Palestine and Gaza has now been resolved,” and celebrations are taking place there, questioning why protests are still ongoing. He said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s focus is on affordable electricity, development, and job creation, and that Pakistan has been honored with the responsibility of safeguarding the Haramain Sharifain among 57 countries. “Major global powers now seek trade partnerships with Pakistan,” he said, adding that “Pakistan’s diplomacy is at its peak. The same leader whose phone calls once went unanswered is now being welcomed with red carpets,” he added. He credited Pakistan’s diplomatic success, economic stability, investment growth, and reduction in inflation to the partnership between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir. “The government and establishment are on the same page,” he said. “Some people always think in reverse that the government only follows what the establishment dictates. They should see it the other way around. When the establishment stands with a civilian government, the results are stability and progress — Pakistan was saved from default.”
He emphasized that the government responds to criticism through performance, not words. “Judge us by our work, not by their insults,” he said, advising PTI leaders to “change their mindset, not just their chief ministers.” He said that Tehsil Jaranwala is larger than many districts across Pakistan, yet it has long been deprived of the facilities that a district deserves.
Meanwhile, police and traffic wardens were not allowing even serious patients in ambulances to reach hospitals here in Rawalpindi due to the fear of TLP protest. The relatives of serious patients were crying for help but in vain. Over 50 percent petrol pumps in Rawalpindi and Islamabad were closed.
The office of the Inspector General Police (IGP) Punjab said the violent and armed protest by TLP aims to disrupt the law and order of the country, create hardships for the public, and attack police personnel. “This cannot, in any way, be considered an expression of solidarity with the oppressed people of Gaza. A peace agreement has already been reached in Gaza, and the Muslims there are not only satisfied but also thankful to Allah for the restoration of peace. While TLP, through acts of vandalism and violence in Pakistan, appears to be pursuing a foreign agenda intended to sabotage the peace established in Gaza,” it added.
It warned that those taking the law into their own hands will be dealt with an iron hand. “There will be no compromise on the dignity and authority of the state. The public is urged to stay away from rumours, refrain from supporting miscreants, and fully cooperate with the police to maintain peace and order.”
