Lahore, October 23, 2025: Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari has hinted that the federal government is likely to take a decision soon on the provincial cabinet’s recommendation to ban the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), as the matter is expected to be discussed during today’s meeting of the federal cabinet.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Thursday, Bokhari said the provincial government had forwarded a summary to the Centre following a wave of violent protests by the TLP earlier this month. She said those who claimed to rally for the “liberation of Gaza and Palestine” instead resorted to arson and destruction of public and private property.
“The decision regarding TLP is expected from the federal government soon,” Bokhari said. “Police personnel were tortured, their vehicles snatched, and civil property was damaged. Vehicles were set on fire — this cannot be tolerated.”
The minister also announced a blanket suspension on the issuance of arms licences across Punjab, declaring that the government is determined to make the province “free of arms.”
“We have to move with resolve to make Punjab an arms-free province,” she added.
The statement comes after days of violent demonstrations by TLP activists that left several people dead and over a thousand injured. The unrest began when police dismantled a TLP protest camp in Muridke, triggering clashes that claimed the lives of a police station house officer (SHO), three others including a passerby, and left at least 1,648 police personnel injured, some by gunfire. Dozens of vehicles, businesses, and public properties were also torched during the violence.
On Wednesday, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting that approved a series of landmark measures to curb extremism and reinforce law and order across the province. The meeting authorised strict action against anyone taking up arms against the state and finalised steps to strengthen the rule of law and public safety.
The provincial government ordered strict enforcement of the Loudspeaker Act and announced the establishment of whistleblower cells in every district to monitor and report extremist activity. A dedicated cell within Punjab Police Helpline 15 will be set up to receive complaints and intelligence about extremist groups and illegal foreign residents. Citizens have been urged to share credible information by calling 15.
Additional directives include intensified operations against illegal weapons, corruption, and mafia networks, along with steps to revitalise and expand peace committees across Punjab. The government also announced the deployment of mobile police stations to enhance access to law enforcement services, while banning all advertisements and posters promoting extremist organisations. Property owners have been warned against renting premises to illegal residents.
Earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif emphasised that Pakistan must act as a “hard state” to curb extremism, asserting that groups formed under the guise of religion are unacceptable. He reiterated that the state would now function strictly in accordance with the law and the Constitution.
The Punjab government’s summary seeking a ban on the TLP marks one of the most decisive steps yet in the province’s ongoing campaign to restore public order and reaffirm the writ of the state.
