Punjab government suspends licences of 28 weapons dealers, while shops of several unlicensed dealers been sealed
ISLAMABAD:
Endorsing a request from the Punjab government, the federal government on Thursday banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), declaring it a proscribed organisation under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The decision – taken during a federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif – followed deadly clashes during recent anti-Israel protests near Lahore that left several people dead.
According to a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the federal cabinet “unanimously” approved the ban.
During the meeting, the Ministry of Interior presented a summary based on the Punjab government’s recommendation, with senior provincial officials joining via video link.
The cabinet was briefed on the TLP’s violent and terrorist activities across the country. Officials informed the meeting that since its establishment in 2016, the group has been involved in multiple incidents of unrest and violence, causing widespread disruption and loss of life.
It was recalled that in 2021, the then government had also banned the TLP, but the decision was revoked six months later after assurances from the group that it would abstain from violence and disorder.
However, the cabinet was informed that the TLP had once again violated those commitments by resorting to violence and incitement. The briefing noted that past protests and rallies by the group had resulted in the deaths of security personnel and civilians alike.
After reviewing the briefing and Punjab’s recommendations, the federal cabinet unanimously concluded that the TLP was engaged in terrorism and violent activities, and therefore declared it a proscribed organisation under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Earlier in the day, Punjab Information and Culture Minister Azma Bokhari outlined the Punjab government’s recent law and order measures following a TLP protest earlier this month.
She said the government had suspended the licences of 28 weapons dealers, while shops of several unlicensed dealers had been sealed.
“There is a zero-tolerance policy on buying and selling of weapons, and as I said earlier, no licence for weapons will now be issued in Punjab,” she added.
The minister further stated that over one million people in the province currently hold weapons licences. “In a province where so many people are licensed to carry arms, you can imagine how challenging it is to maintain peace,” she remarked.
She added that 47,918 security companies in Punjab possess weapons licences, while various institutions collectively hold over 42,000 licences.
Bokhari also shared details of weapons and ammunition allegedly recovered from individuals associated with the TLP. Displaying related images on a screen, she said TLP protesters had seized weapons, ammunition, and other items from police during previous demonstrations.
“This is their modus operandi. They surround police, snatch vehicles, weapons and tear gas guns from them and use them later.
“In the 2021 [protest], they robbed 3,498 tear gas shells, 23 tear gas guns, 326 anti-riot kits, two 12-bore pistols and 11 submachine guns,” she said. Pointing to one of the pictures on the screen, she added that they matched the bullets that were shot at police during the TLP’s recent protest.
According to Bokhari, TLP activists damaged eight police vehicles and snatched a submachine gun, two 12-bore pistols, 945 bullets during their recent protest. Moreover, the minister said the protesters had snatched 197 helmets, 22 kits, 130 “safety sheets”, one tear gas gun and 984 tear gas shells, all of which were part of anti-riot gear.
They even damaged Safe City cameras, Bokhari added.
She further said that a special prosecution cell was working on cases pertaining to the TLP, in which 559 suspects had been sent on physical remand. Among them, 161 were sent to jail and 190 were on judicial remand, she added.
Moving on actions taken regarding social media posts, she said a total of “75 links” had been blocked for sharing hateful and inciting material and 107 people had been apprehended.
Bokhari further said citizens could give tip-offs to police about “the extremist party” and “illegal citizens, be it Afghans or anyone else”, by calling 15 police helpline. Their calls would be transferred to a special cell and the informants’ name would be kept secret, she assured.
She stressed that “dala culture”, too, would not be tolerated.
“Giving a call for strike and forcing shops, business and transport to shut down is totally unacceptable. Cases will be registered under terrorism laws [against those involved],” she further warned.
Bokhari also emphasised that there was a province-wide ban on posters, pamphlets, branding or any other kind of publicity of “extremist mobs”.
About Afghan refugees, she said combing operations had been initiated to identify those lacking the necessary documents, who would then be shifted to centres established at the district level. They would then be sent back to their country in a respectful manner.
This would also apply to others residing in Punjab “illegally”, she said, adding that “information was being collected about illegal citizens doing business in Punjab so that they could also be repatriated”.
In this connection, the minister warned that renting or leasing out properties to “illegal citizens” or letting them stay at one’s residence was a crime and action would taken over it. “The Punjab government has taken a decision on this and it is being implemented.”
She also said the Punjab government had requested the Centre to regularise weapons’ factories.
