PM Imran Khan green-lights summary seeking ban on TLP: sources

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday gave a green signal to a summary sent by the Ministry of Interior seeking a ban on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) following violent protests across the country, ARY News reported, citing sources.

The cabinet will give the approval to ban TLP through a circular summary which is likely to be issued in the next 24 hours.

An official notification in this regard would be issued after getting approval from the federal cabinet, sources privy to the matter told ARY News.

The development came after Shaikh Rasheed today announced that the government of Pakistan has decided to ban religio-political party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, while addressing a press conference, announced that keeping in view the party’s recent activities including abduction of policemen and destroying of public property has led the federal government to ban TLP under Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, (11) B.

The minister maintained that at least two police officers embraced martyrdom while 340 others were injured during the recent protests by TLP while the party’s workers also tried to take a number of policemen hostage to force the govt to accept their demands.

Sheikh Rasheed made it clear that no case registered against TLP men regarding violence during protests will be taken back and also urged members of the party’s social media wing to surrender themselves before law enforcement agencies.

It is pertinent to note here that the party’s protests had disrupted traffic in various cities of the country since Monday after the arrest of the their chief Maulana Saad Rizvi.

Police had arrested Rizvi at around 2pm on Wahdat Road in Lahore on Monday where he had gone to attend a funeral.