The federal government has officially imposed a ban on TLP, declaring the religiopolitical party a proscribed organization under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
In a notification issued by the Interior Ministry on Friday, the government said it had “reasonable grounds” to believe that the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) was “connected with and concerned in terrorism.” The notification stated that under Section 11B(1)(a) of the Act, the group has been listed in the First Schedule as a banned organization.
The decision to impose the ban on TLP was taken a day earlier during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The move followed violent protests across Pakistan during rallies over Gaza, which resulted in several deaths and disruptions to major highways from Karachi to Islamabad.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said the decision was made after a proposal from the Punjab government and approved unanimously by the federal cabinet. The interior ministry briefed the cabinet on the TLP’s “violent and terrorist activities,” emphasizing that the group had repeatedly incited unrest.
Founded in 2015 and registered as a political party in 2016, TLP had previously been banned by the PTI government in 2021 after violent protests. That ban was lifted after six months on assurances that the group would refrain from violence. Officials said the new ban on TLP came after it violated those commitments.
Speaking to Geo News, Adviser to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah clarified that the government’s intent was not to suppress political expression but to remove “anti-state and terrorist elements” from the organization.
Under Pakistan’s legal framework, proscribed groups face strict measures, including travel bans, financial restrictions, and monitoring under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The final decision regarding any permanent political ban lies with the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The government’s decision signals a renewed effort to curb violent extremism and maintain law and order amid growing political and sectarian tensions nationwide.
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