Muridke/Lahore/Islamabad, October 13, 2025: Law enforcement agencies dispersed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protesters from Muridke early Monday after intense clashes that left one police officer martyred and three TLP activists dead, according to officials.
The protesters had been camped at Muridke, 30 kilometres north of Lahore, after authorities blocked their route to Islamabad by digging up trenches and sealing key highways. The group was marching to the capital to demonstrate outside the U.S. Embassy in support of Gaza and Palestine.
A senior police official confirmed that the operation to clear the sit-in began around 3am and continued for nearly six hours. Punjab Police spokesperson Mubashir Hussain said that Sheikhupura Factory Area SHO Shehzad Nawaz was martyred during the clash, while 48 law enforcement personnel were injured, including 17 with bullet wounds, along with eight civilians. One passerby was also killed.
Hussain said the protesters attacked police with stones, batons embedded with nails, and petrol bombs, and later opened fire. “Law enforcement personnel had to initiate limited action in self-defence,” he stated, alleging that TLP supporters set 40 government and private vehicles ablaze.
Several protesters were arrested, police said, as videos circulating on social media showed burnt vehicles, heavy smoke, and running street battles between protesters and riot police.
The Punjab police, in a post on X, confirmed that the fallen SHO lost his life “while trying to maintain order and protect people’s lives and property.”
Security tightened in Lahore, Islamabad
Following the clashes, authorities reimposed road closures and partially sealed motorways and highways leading to the twin cities. The M-2 (Lahore–Islamabad), M-3 (Lahore–Khanewal) and M-11 (Sialkot–Lahore) motorways were closed again as panic spread among commuters.
In Islamabad, the Faizabad Interchange was briefly reopened on Sunday but sealed again by mid-morning Monday. Only the Islamabad Expressway remained open, while traffic congestion was reported in adjoining areas.
Mobile internet remained functional in the federal capital, though users in Rawalpindi complained of slow service and intermittent disruptions.
Schools close early amid panic
Amid fears of unrest, several schools in Islamabad closed earlier than usual, sending text messages to parents citing a “potential law and order situation.” Residents reported panic and heavy traffic near school zones.
“We received messages from schools asking parents to pick up their children early,” said Ghulam Abbas, a resident of Margalla Town. “By the time I left, Faizabad was already closed again.”
Meanwhile, Karachi traffic police also issued alerts, warning that routes around 4K Chowrangi were blocked due to protests by a “religious group.”
Authorities have yet to announce whether the TLP leadership remains under negotiation or if further dispersal operations are planned.
