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Pakistan bans far-right party Tehreek-e-Labbaik
Islamabad: Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), an extreme right-wing party, has been banned for alleged violence against policemen. The cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the party was banned under the Pakistan Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 1997.
The decision to ban TLP was taken by the regional Punjab government. Later the cabinet approved this decision.
The ‘Long March’ TLP rally from Lahore to the capital Islamabad on October 13 was violent.
16 people including a police officer were killed in the incident. In the background of this incident, the government of Pakistan has imposed a ban.
Police had set up shipping containers to block TLP’s anti-Israel protest rally, the Long March. It was during the removal of this that there was a conflict and the police and the protestors clashed. After the conflict, TLP chief Saad Rizvi went into hiding. He has not been found yet.
Meanwhile, TLP activists are holding a ‘Palestine Solidarity Rally’ to the US Embassy in Islamabad. The ban has been imposed when the rally, which has been going on for the past five days, is about to enter Islamabad.
TLP will now be counted along with banned terrorist organizations like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Lashkar-e-Toiba, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Security personnel and civilians have been killed in TLP attacks before. The Pakistani government said in a statement that the TLP has a history of violence since 2017.
The statement stated that it is the party that has spread unrest in many areas and is involved in violent activities across the country.
The party was founded in 2016. Later in 2021, the organization was banned. But the ban was lifted after six months.
Pakistani officials clarified that the decision was withdrawn on the condition that the party refrains from violence and unrest.
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