The National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) on Friday has placed Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) on the list of banned organizations. The TLP has been given the 79th number on the list and has been banned from collecting any kind of donations. Giving donations to the TLP will now be considered as terror financing, the NACTA officials said.
Meanwhile, Interior Ministry has written letters to the provincial chief secretaries to determine the assets of TLP.
It is noteworthy that the federal government has imposed a ban on the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan under the anti-terrorism act. A notification was issued by the Ministry of Interior after the federal cabinet approved the summary seeking a ban on religio-political party.
The summary from the interior ministry had recommended a ban on the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan owing to its violent activities in the aftermath of the arrest of its chief Saad Rizvi, which led to the martyrdom of two cops and injuries to more than 300 others.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad earlier, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid announced that the government would also take measures for TLP’s dissolution, saying a separate summary will be moved in the cabinet in this regard tomorrow. He said after the summary’s approval in the next two to three days, a reference will be filed in the Supreme Court for the party’s dissolution.
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The minister said the government had “tried its best” to resolve matters through negotiations but TLP’s “intentions were very horrifying. They did not want to step back from their agenda for April 20 at any cost.”
He lauded the services of police and other law-enforcement personnel to restore peace, saying as many as 580 police personnel had sustained injuries and at least 30 cars had been destroyed during the violence.
The government had announced it would move to ban the TLP, whose leader had called for the expulsion of the French ambassador, on Wednesday. Saad Rizvi was detained hours after making his demands, bringing thousands of his supporters to the streets in cities across Pakistan.
Two police officers died in the clashes, which saw water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets used to hold back crowds.
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Speaking alongside Rashid, Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri said he had been engaging with the TLP for the past two years and it was the government’s effort to bring it into the system as a “mainstream political party”.