Complete ban on TLP: LHC reserves verdict on maintainability of petition

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Monday reserved its verdict on the maintainability of a writ petition, seeking a complete ban on the proscribed Tehrik-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) for holding violent protests in the country.

Justice Shahid Karim heard initial arguments of Advocate Abdullah Malik, the petitioner, and reserved his decision on the point of the jurisdiction of the court to provide the relief sought in the petition.

The petitioner argued that the state had failed to cope with the challenge and eliminate the proscribed outfit, which had all elements of militancy and terrorism and become a serious threat for solidity of the country.

He asked the court to issue a direction to the interior secretary to register sedition cases against members of the militant outfit. The petitioner also asked the court to seek a report from the Punjab Police on loss of lives of citizens and police officials during the ongoing agitation. Meanwhile, through an application, Advocate Abdullah Malik asked the federal interior secretary to make public details of the agreement the government had reached with the proscribed TLP recently. He sought the information under the Access to Information Act 2017, read with Article 19-A of the Constitution.

He stated that the government notified the TPL as proscribed organisation under Section 11 B(1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 as the organisation was engaged in terrorism in country.

He said the outfit held the whole Punjab province hostage for its illegal demands for 12 days and its workers carried out violent protests across the country and damaged the image of Pakistan.

He submitted that the government reached ‘compromise’ with the proscribed organisation, which was reportedly involved in the killing of police personnel and damaging of public and private properties.