Pakistan seals 95 bank accounts linked to Saad Rizvi amid crackdown on extremist network

LAHORE: Pakistani authorities have frozen 95 bank accounts and sealed several properties — both legal and illegal — registered under the name of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) leader Saad Rizvi, as part of a province-wide operation targeting extremist financing networks, Punjab’s information minister confirmed on Monday.

The minister further revealed that raids are underway to arrest Saad Rizvi and his associate, Anas Rizvi, after investigators uncovered evidence of an organized cell allegedly involved in intimidating politicians, journalists, and social activists through coordinated online and offline campaigns.

According to government sources, the action forms part of a broader strategy to dismantle the financial and digital infrastructure supporting hate speech and sectarian mobilization. Officials said assets identified through the Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) and intelligence agencies were traced to multiple front entities operating under religious and social welfare fronts.

Authorities have also vowed to prosecute individuals involved in threats, incitement, or fund collection under Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).

Analysts describe the latest crackdown as one of the most significant moves against the TLP’s financial network since the group’s proscription in 2021, reflecting Islamabad’s renewed commitment to curb extremist funding and misinformation operations.