Pakistan Bans Far-Right TLP Under Anti-Terrorism Laws Following Deadly Anti-Israel Demonstrations

Pakistan has once again banned the far-right Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) under anti-terrorism legislation following deadly clashes during anti-Israel demonstrations near Lahore that resulted in at least five fatalities.

The decision was announced after a cabinet meeting led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, marking the second time authorities have prohibited this organization, which has orchestrated some of Pakistan's most violent protests in recent years.

"The Federal Cabinet unanimously concluded that TLP is involved in terrorism and violent activities," stated the prime minister's office in an official release.

The statement highlighted that the group's "violent protests, rallies, and demonstrations" have caused the deaths of security personnel and innocent civilians.

The recent unrest began on October 9, when TLP supporters, under the leadership of party chief Saad Rizvi, marched from eastern Punjab's Lahore toward Islamabad to protest against a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

At least five individuals, including a police officer, lost their lives when violent confrontations erupted in Muridke, a town situated between Lahore and Islamabad, four days after the march began.

Since then, authorities have initiated an extensive crackdown, freezing 95 bank accounts and several properties allegedly connected to the group.

According to Punjab government spokeswoman Azma Bokhari, Rizvi himself has gone into hiding to evade arrest.

The TLP was previously banned in April 2021 following violent anti-France demonstrations that killed several police officers and civilians, but that prohibition was lifted seven months later.

The party participated in the last two general elections, held in 2018 and 2024. Although it failed to secure any seats in the national parliament, it garnered over two million votes in each election.

In the February 2024 election, the TLP managed to win one provincial seat in Punjab.

Over recent years, the TLP has mobilized thousands of passionate supporters to paralyze cities, demand the expulsion of Western ambassadors, target religious minorities, and incite riots.

Also known as the Movement at the Service of the Prophet, the party rose to prominence in 2016 by protesting the execution of Mumtaz Qadri. The bodyguard had assassinated Punjab governor Salman Taseer in 2011 over his advocacy for reforming Pakistan's blasphemy laws, which still carry the death penalty.

Many Pakistanis viewed Qadri as a hero—a sentiment that provided TLP founder Khadim Hussain Rizvi, Saad's father, with an opportunity to transform the group into a mass movement, according to analysts.

The TLP has its ideological foundations in Barelvi Islam, a mainstream sect generally considered moderate, but for whom blasphemy represents an absolute red line.