Islamabad, October 24, 2025: The Ministry of Interior on Friday formally banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), declaring it a proscribed organisation under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997.
According to the official notification, the federal government has “reasonable grounds to believe that Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan is connected with and concerned in terrorism.”
“In exercise of powers conferred by Section 11B(1)(a) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 (XXVII of 1997), the federal government hereby orders TLP to be a proscribed organisation for the purpose of the Act and lists the aforesaid organisation in the First Schedule to the said Act,” the notification read.
The interior ministry has circulated the notification to TLP’s leadership and all concerned federal and provincial authorities.
The move follows a wave of violent protests earlier this month after police dismantled a TLP protest camp in Muridke, leading to deadly clashes that claimed the lives of a police station house officer (SHO), three others, including a passerby, and left many injured.
Cabinet approval and legal process
The decision to impose the ban came a day after the federal cabinet approved the interior ministry’s summary, which was submitted on the request of the Punjab government citing the group’s violent activities and threat to public order.
Senior officials from Punjab participated in the cabinet meeting via video link. The meeting was informed that the TLP had previously been banned in 2021, but the restriction was lifted after six months on the assurance that the group would refrain from violence and public disorder — a commitment it has since violated.
Sources said the interior ministry has also initiated legal proceedings to file a reference in the Supreme Court under Article 17(2) and (3) of the Constitution to formalize the ban.
Under Article 17(2), a political party may be prohibited if it acts “against the sovereignty, integrity, or security of Pakistan.” However, the ban does not take effect until the Supreme Court upholds it, and the reference must be filed within 15 days of the government’s decision.
TLP leadership ‘gone into hiding’
Meanwhile, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari said the top leadership of TLP has gone into hiding outside the province following the violent demonstrations, but assured that law enforcement agencies are tracking them.
“According to available information, the group’s senior leaders are currently outside Punjab and adept at going underground to evade arrest. You will soon receive good news,” Azma told a private new channel.
She urged the public not to refer to TLP as a political party.
“They are not a political or religious party, but a mindset that must be collectively confronted as a society,” she said.
Azma further alleged that the group had been operating “like a project to collect watches and billions of rupees,” claiming that it also earned interest-based income from financial transactions made in the name of religion.
“Whenever the TLP takes to the streets, it engages in violence and attempts to disrupt law and order. They have acted as a pressure group to dictate terms to the state. Our leadership is convinced that now is the best time to correct past mistakes,” she added.
