Chokehold on TLP tightens as govt assuages concerns | The Express Tribune

LAHORE/KARACHI:

The Punjab government on Tuesday intensified its crackdown on the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and its supporters, freezing dozens of bank accounts, seizing properties, and placing hundreds of mosques and seminaries under government control.

Simultaneously, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Karachi assured that federal action is being taken only against those who are armed, not against any particular religious group. He said the government would not interfere in the affairs of mosques or seminaries.

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari, addressing a press conference in Lahore, said 95 bank accounts linked to TLP chief Saad Rizvi had been frozen, while 3,800 more national and international accounts used to fund the group were under investigation.

“Those financing TLP will face terrorism charges,” she warned, adding that the Punjab cabinet had approved a summary seeking a ban on the group, which is now with the federal government for final action expected within days.

The minister said well-educated individuals had been found supporting the group’s activities and that the government would not tolerate “anyone using religion to fuel unrest.”

She revealed that authorities had recovered 1.92 kilograms of gold, 898 grams of silver, 69 branded watches, and cash worth over Rs144 million during a raid on Rizvi’s residence. Police also recovered foreign currency, including Indian rupees, Saudi riyals, and UAE dirhams, along with jewellery worth Rs63 million.

Bokhari confirmed that no order had been issued to relocate the grave of TLP founder Khadim Hussain Rizvi, calling such social media rumours “false and politically motivated.” However, she warned that no one would be allowed to use the grave as a rallying point for fundraising or incitement.

She added that 130 mosques previously under TLP influence had been taken into state custody and 223 madaris geo-tagged. “These mosques will remain open for prayers, but no political activity or provocative speeches will be tolerated,” she said. Six of the seminaries, she noted, had been built on state-owned land and will be handed over to moderate Sunni scholars.

The minister condemned TLP’s recent ‘Gaza March’, which defied Section 144 and led to violent clashes in Muridke, leaving one police officer martyred, three protesters dead, and dozens injured. “It is tragic that riots are being justified in the name of Islam and Palestine,” Bokhari said. “This is manipulation.”

In Karachi, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi reiterated that the federal government was not targeting any specific organisation. “Action will be taken against anyone who is armed, not against any particular group,” he said at a joint press conference with Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori and MQM-Pakistan Chairman Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.

Naqvi emphasised that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir were working diligently to restore peace and stability. “We are achieving results – what we now need most is unity,” he remarked.

Governor Tessori said Naqvi was actively engaged in ensuring peace and overseeing the operation against Fitna al-Khawarij (mischief of the Kharijites). He added that both Karachi and Hyderabad’s issues were being discussed, describing the minister’s cooperation as “exemplary.”

The minister later met with Mufti Muneebur Rehman and other Sunni scholars, assuring them that the government would not interfere in religious institutions. He promised transparency in investigations related to the Muridke incident and said details about victims and affected families would be shared.

In a statement, Mufti Abdul Razzaq Naqshbandi, spokesman for Mufti Muneebur Rehman, said both sides discussed the Muridke incident and its aftermath. “The ulema presented their stance on multiple issues, and the minister promised resolution of all matters. It was agreed that a detailed session would be held in Islamabad to address legitimate concerns,” he said.

Bokhari, meanwhile, cautioned that those inciting violence online through platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook would face terrorism charges, adding that offenders would be denied university admissions, visas, and other state facilities. “We do not want pressure groups emerging in Pakistan,” she said. “Anyone conspiring against peace and stability will face the full force of the law.”

She concluded by appealing to parents to guide their children away from radical elements. “Your children were not born to become someone’s cannon fodder,” she said.