Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has claimed that police killed two of its workers during late night crackdown on the party’s headquarters in Lahore.
Reports suggest Lahore Police Wednesday night raided ‘Masjid Rehmatul-lil-Aalimeen’ (TLP head office) near Scheme Mor (Multan Road). The Police launched the crackdown to arrest TLP’s head Saad Rizvi, a day ahead of ‘Gaza Million March’ to Islamabad today.
Saad has earlier vowed he will hold “Labbaik Ya Aqsa Million March”. TLP announced that it will hold march from Islamabad’s Aabpara Chowk to US Embassy on October 10.
The party leaders have now called its workers across Pakistan to immediately reach Lahore. They say thousands will offer funeral prayer of two slain workers at Multan road. Leaders vowed to set the long march today.
Current Situation:
However, the situation in the area remains tense as a heavy contingent of police has cordoned off the roads leading to the party’s headquarters. A large number of police personnel are deployed at Chowk Yateem Khana and nearby areas around the TLP office. Traffic on several parts of Multan Road remained blocked. The authorities have suspended the Lahore Metro Orange Line Train service.
Throughout the night, Multan Road — from Scheme Mor to Chowk Yateem Khana — turned into a battleground. Enraged TLP workers clashed with police, attacking them with iron rods and clubs. Police responded with heavy tear gas shelling. TLP’s social media accounts claimed that police resorted to direct firing on “peaceful workers.” Supporters of Saad Rizvi alleged that police tortured workers inside a mosque. They claimed police raids resulted in deaths of two and injuries to several others.
TLP:
A representative of Brelvi school of thought, TLP is considered one of the largest religious parties of Pakistan. It had started its activism as Tehreek-e-Rehai Mumtaz Qadri, the assassin of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, in early months of 2015. The Election Commission of Pakistan registered it as political party in May 2017. Founded by firebrand cleric late Khadim Hussain Rizvi, TLP came under the leadership of his son Saad Rizvi after his father’s death in November 2020. The TLP has history of violent clashes with law enforcement agencies since its formation.
