Pakistan's Punjab Police on Monday launched a massive crackdown on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protesters, triggering violent clashes that left several demonstrators killed and injured.
The march, part of TLP's anti-government, pro-Gaza, and anti-Israel campaign, has seen protesters set up camps in Muridke despite multiple police blockades along their route to Islamabad.
This comes as Hamas released hostages during the presence of US President Donald Trump in Israel.
Large contingents of Pakistan Rangers and police surrounded the group’s main protest camp in Muridke amid reports of protests.
At least 170 people detained across Punjab, including party workers, office-bearers, and activists, were detained under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), ANI reported quoting Dawn.
Security forces used baton charges and fired tear gas as the Islamist group's march, led by party chief Saad Hussain Rizvi, pressed on from Lahore.
At least three protesters were killed as police opened fire to disperse them. One cop was also killed in the clash, reported India Today. Local media reports and eyewitness accounts suggested the actual death toll could be significantly higher.
"When the dispersal operation began, workers of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) resorted to stone-pelting, using spiked batons and petrol bombs. Subsequently, they engaged in indiscriminate firing, resulting in loss of life to civilians and law enforcement personnel," Punjab Police said in a post on X.
Last week, violent clashes broke out in Lahore as police tried to prevent the TLP from advancing toward the capital for a planned pro-Palestinian rally. The group accused the police of firing indiscriminately, claiming 11 of its members were killed and more than 50 injured.
Protests, which began on October 9 over Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, intensified on October 11.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and interior minister Mohsin Naqvi held an emergency meeting in Islamabad to assess the security situation. The prime minister’s office said Naqvi briefed Sharif on ongoing operations and steps to maintain law and order. The premier directed that “coordinated and effective actions must continue to ensure the protection of citizens’ lives and property.”
Earlier, Rizvi had urged his supporters to remain calm and wait for his next instructions, saying he had not yet authorised the march to Islamabad. He condemned police action and alleged that officers had used “lethal weapons” against TLP workers.
Pakistan's minister Talal Chaudhry accused the group of exploiting the Gaza crisis for "political gain" and reaffirming that the government would not tolerate violence or coercion by any organisation.
Mobile data services were partially resumed in Rawalpindi and Islamabad as negotiations with the TLP leadership got underway in Lahore. Authorities have detained roughly 170 people linked to TLP in Sahiwal division under the MPO, Dawn reported.
