Govt lifts ban on TLP ‘in larger national interest’

ISLAMABAD: The government lifted the ban on the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) following a proposal by the Punjab government, saying the decision was taken “in the larger national interest” as per the October 31 deal Islamabad sealed with the group to end clashes that left 11 policemen dead.

Last week, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) released over 800 detained supporters of the group, reportedly, as per the same agreement. The TLP was protesting over the detention of its leader Saad Rizvi, arrested in April when the group was outlawed by authorities and was demanding the expulsion of the French ambassador from Pakistan.

On November 4, the provincial cabinet had approved the removal of the TLP from the list of proscribed organisations.

A notification issued by the ministry of interior on Sunday confirmed that the government removed the TLP from the first schedule of the concerned act and as a proscribed organisation for the said act.

The order was issued in exercise of the powers conferred under sub-section (1) of Section 11U of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 (as amended), it added.

Hence, the TLP can now openly participate in mainstream politics after being remained an outlawed organisation for about six months since April this year.

The interior ministry’s notification read that the TLP was placed in the First Schedule of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 (as amended) as a proscribed organisation for the purpose of the said act, by the federal government under Section 11B (1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 (as amended) vide Ministry of Interior’s notification dated April 15, 2021, on the recommendation of the Home Department, Punjab.

Whereas the Punjab cabinet, considering the request of the organisation and the assurance and commitment by its leadership, believed that the said organisation shall abide by the constitution and laws of the country, it added.

“Viewing the larger national interest and long-term perspective to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future, the government of Punjab has proposed to the federal government to consider revoking of the proscription of the TLP,” the notification added.

Following more than a week of clashes, the government last month reached an ‘agreement’ with the group but did not reveal any details. Several thousand TLP supporters began a stop-start march from Lahore to Islamabad last month, reaching about one-third of the way before calling it off.