Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) members on Oct. 13, 2025 march in protest of Israeli-Hamas ceasefire. (Screenshot from YouTube News18)
LAHORE, Pakistan (Christian Each day Worldwide–Morning Star Information) – Christians in Pakistan expressed cautious reduction after a large crackdown final week on a Muslim extremist political occasion that has wreaked violence on Christians and different spiritual minorities.
The Punjab Province authorities on Oct. 13 initiated a large-scale, pre-dawn operation to dismantle probably violent protests by the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and thwart its “Gaza solidarity” march. Calling a latest U.S.-brokered ceasefire settlement between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas a “conspiracy to subjugate the Palestinian folks,” the TLP ranging from Lahore aimed to achieve the federal capital of Islamabad and protest exterior the U.S. embassy.
At the least one police officer was killed and dozens of others injured, some severely, in clashes with the protesters, Punjab police stated in a press release. Whereas the assertion asserted solely three TLP members have been killed, TLP-affiliated social media claimed the police motion resulted in a whole lot of deaths amongst their ranks.
The police operation was carried out in Muridke, about 50 kilometers from Lahore, the place the protesters had camped for the evening. Following the safety operation towards the TLP, Punjab authorities authorities stated that they had detained greater than 2,700 folks, whereas one other 2,800 have been positioned on an “exit management” checklist barring them from leaving the nation.
The federal government additionally sealed greater than 60 mosques and seminaries affiliated with the occasion in a number of cities in addition to its headquarters in Lahore. TLP chief Saad Hussain Rizvi and his youthful brother Anas Hussain Rizvi, nonetheless, escaped arrest and have been stated to be hiding within the autonomous area of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif stated in a press release that the provincial authorities additionally had filed a abstract with the federal authorities looking for a ban on the extremist occasion, although it didn’t explicitly title TLP.
“These concerned in inciting violence, spreading hatred and violating the regulation can be arrested instantly [under the proposed ban],” the assertion learn. “The extremist occasion’s management shall be positioned within the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act.”
The Fourth Schedule is a listing of proscribed people suspected of terrorism and sectarianism beneath Pakistan’s antiterrorism laws.
“All properties and belongings of the extremist occasion shall be handed over to the Punjab Auqaf Division. There shall be an entire ban on the extremist occasion’s posters, banners and ads,” the assertion added.
It additional stated that “all financial institution accounts” of the occasion shall be frozen, and that its social media accounts “spreading hatred shall be taken down.” The Punjab authorities additionally vowed “strict motion on the violation of the Loudspeaker Act.”
TLP got here to prominence for its vehement help for Mumtaz Qadri, a police constable who shot Punjab Gov. Salmaan Taseer in 2011 for expressing sympathetic sentiments in the direction of Aasia Bibi, a Christian lady accused of blasphemy.
The occasion continued to mobilize round problems with Islamist import, with its first main protest happening in November 2017. Subsequently it carried out related, usually violent protests in 2020 and 2021 over the publication of perceived blasphemous caricatures, throughout which a number of police officers have been killed.
The federal authorities had beforehand imposed a ban on the TLP in April 2021 on the advice of the Punjab authorities beneath the anti-terrorism legal guidelines. The ban was revoked in November that yr upon request of the Punjab authorities days after a deal was reached with the group to finish its violent protest march to Islamabad.
Restrictions have been additionally briefly imposed on the TLP in June 2023, when the occasion was finishing up an extended march from Lahore to Islamabad. Restrictions lifted beneath an settlement reached on June 17, 2023 included a ban on the protection of the occasion on digital and social media.
The provincial authorities can request a ban be imposed on a celebration, as within the case of the TLP. In flip, the federal authorities has the ability to refer this request to the Supreme Court docket, by declaring that the occasion “has been shaped or is working in a way prejudicial to the sovereignty or integrity of Pakistan,” in response to Article 17(2) of the Structure.
The ultimate determination to ban a political occasion rests with the Supreme Court docket, as per the Structure.
“The federal authorities shall, inside 15 days of such declaration, refer the matter to the Supreme Court docket, whose determination on such reference shall be last,” the article states.
‘Lengthy Overdue Motion’
Christian rights activists have welcomed the federal government’s crackdown on the occasion, saying it was “lengthy overdue.”
The rise of TLP witnessed a drastic improve in blasphemy instances filed throughout the nation towards Christians and Ahmadis, in addition to assaults on church buildings and different locations of worship and graveyards. In August 2023, a number of hundred TLP members ransacked and destroyed a number of church buildings and houses of Christians in Jaranwala, Faisalabad District, Punjab Province, after two Christians have been falsely accused of committing blasphemy.
In June 2024, occasion members lynched an aged Christian, Nazeer Masih Gill, in Sargodha after falsely accusing him of burning the Quran. The mob additionally burned the Christian’s home and a shoe manufacturing unit owned by his household.
“The TLP’s major agenda since its inception has been violence within the title of the blasphemy legal guidelines,” stated a Christian legal professional who represents a number of folks falsely accused of blasphemy. “They’ve publicly chanted slogans of ‘separating the top from the physique of a blasphemer’ and even threatened judges and authorities officers with dying for talking towards the misuse of the [blasphemy] legal guidelines. The occasion has instilled a lot concern within the judiciary that many judges refused to take up appeals by blasphemy convicts.”
The legal professional, whose title is withheld for safety causes, lauded the Punjab authorities for taking a agency stand towards the extremist occasion, saying the TLP had by no means beforehand been held accountable for violence.
“Previously protests, TLP usually perpetrated violence towards police personnel, with a number of cops dying throughout completely different protests,” he stated. “This time, with the state’s full backing, police had the chance to go after the occasion.”
Samson Salamat, chairman of Rwadari Tehreek or the Motion for Equality, advised Christian Each day Worldwide-Morning Star Information that stern motion towards the TLP ought to have been taken way back.
“Nonetheless, the state should not present any flexibility at this stage and will be sure that extremist events and teams like TLP should not allowed to reemerge,” he stated. “Earlier makes an attempt to rein in TLP resulted within the group getting stronger and finishing up religiously-motivated assaults with extra impunity. We hope that this time the federal government has realized from its experiences and won’t be blackmailed into making any concessions.”
Pakistan ranked eighth on Open Doorways’ 2025 World Watch Record of probably the most troublesome locations to be a Christian.
If you need to assist persecuted Christians, go to https://morningstarnews.org/sources/aid-agencies/ for a listing of organizations that may orient you on how one can get entangled.
In the event you or your group wish to assist allow Morning Star Information to proceed elevating consciousness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please think about collaborating at https://morningstarnews.org/donate/?
###
© 2025 Christian Each day Worldwide-Morning Star Information. Articles/pictures could also be reprinted with credit score to Christian Each day Worldwide-Morning Star Information. https://morningstarnews.org
Tweet: https://twitter.com/morningstarnewz/
Fb: https://www.fb.com/MorningStarNews
Morning Star Information is a 501(c)(3) non-profit company that depends solely on contributions to supply authentic information stories of persecuted Christians. By offering dependable information on the struggling church, Morning Star Information’ mission is to empower these within the free world to assist and to encourage persecuted Christians that they aren’t forgotten or alone. Totally free subscription, contact editor@morningstarnews.org; to make tax-deductible donations, go to https://morningstarnews.org/donate/? or ship test to Morning Star Information, 34281 Doheny Park Rd., # 7022, Capistrano Seashore, CA 92624, USA.
The publish Police in Pakistan Conflict with Islamic Extremist Celebration appeared first on Morningstar Information.
