• Law enforcement uses tear gas and barricades to contain the procession
• Dozens of personnel injured; TLP alleges casualties due to police shooting
• Trenches were dug to block protesters on GT Road; Chenab and Jhelum bridges sealed
• Talal warns against violence or ‘mob blackmail’
• ATC grants preventive detention of 12 days to 110 TLP activists
LAHORE: The Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) began marching towards Islamabad after Friday prayers, with a large number of supporters reaching Shahdara and staging a sit-in after clashes with police, partially paralyzing the provincial capital.
Law enforcement repeatedly attempted to contain the demonstration near the group’s headquarters by erecting barricades and containers and using tear gas and other crowd control measures.
In Gujrat district, local authorities on Friday night dug trenches at at least three points along the GT Road to block the march towards Islamabad.
However, the TLP, led by its chief Saad Rizvi, not only managed to wipe out the main procession in Lahore as part of its “Gaza March”, but also continued to advance amidst religious slogans, leaving the police helpless.
Reports suggest that the protests turned violent after Friday sermons delivered by prominent religious figures of the organization at local mosques before the march began moving towards Islamabad from Multan Road in Lahore.
Video circulating on social media appeared to show protesters commandeering heavy vehicles, including cranes allegedly belonging to government departments such as Lahore Waste Management Company, Rescue 1122 and the Punjab Police, for use in the procession.
Fights reportedly broke out soon after TLP chief Saad Rizvi delivered a major sermon at the main Friday congregation at the central mosque near the organisation’s Multan Road headquarters.
Later, he addressed a large rally and gave the party workers the nod to move towards Islamabad as per the given plan.
Clashes were reported at several places along Multan Road including Yateem Khana Chowk, Chauburji near Civil Secretariat, Bhati Gate, Azadi Chowk and Ravi Bridge (Shahdara).
Witnesses said some protesters occupied sections of the Orange Line to throw rocks at police, injuring several officers. Protesters were seen carrying sticks, rods and bricks.
Police responded by firing tear gas and, according to witnesses, warning shots into the air to disperse the crowd.
On some occasions, the two sides were seen chasing and repelling each other. Sources said three police vehicles were seized and some personnel were taken hostage and briefly assaulted, turning stretches of Multan Road into a battlefield and disrupting the lives of nearby residents.
A second wave of major clashes was reported near Azadi Chowk, where several police vehicles were damaged and many officials injured.
Images on social media showed officers retreating for cover; Two superintendents of police were also seen taking positions in safer places. One video showed an officer lying on the ground and bleeding.
Police sources said dozens of officers were injured, some seriously, after being stoned and attacked by protesters with batons. The TLP said many of its supporters were injured and alleged that some had died from police gunfire during the march. None of the claims could be independently verified and no official casualty figures were published.
Authorities also accused social media accounts linked to the TLP of circulating old images and videos to exacerbate tensions. By afternoon, hundreds of TLP workers had gathered near Ravi Bridge awaiting further instructions from Rizvi.
talal presser foot
Minister of State for Home Affairs Talal Chaudhry accused the TLP of holding protests to misuse the issue of corruption for political purposes, and reiterated that the government would not allow any group to use violence or blackmail the state. Speaking to the media in Islamabad, he said the policy is clear: peaceful protest within the democratic and constitutional framework is a constitutional right. “There is no room for groups to blackmail others, use mobs or use violence to achieve their demands or objectives,” he said.
Chaudhry said hundreds of suspects planning violence had been identified and provincial governments had already made arrests. “For the government, detaining about 2,000 people is not a problem, but the political decision was made to use minimum force,” he said.
Meanwhile, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday handed over 110 TLP activists to police on physical remand for 12 days in a case related to violent protests and attacks on law enforcement officers. Police produced the suspects in court and sought their custody for questioning. ATC-I Judge Manzer Ali Gill approved the remand and ordered the police to carry out the investigation strictly in accordance with the law.
Nawankot police registered an FIR alleging that the suspects attacked law enforcement personnel, opened fire, resorted to violence and damaged public property during a protest.
Those arrested include Qari Umar Farooq, Basharat Ali, Qari Shabbir Farooqi, Hafiz Ghulam Sarwar, Qari M. Hussain, Qari Muharram Aslam, Qari Khurshid, Hammad Ali, Imran Hussain, Ghulam Nabi, Nazir Hussain alias Nazir Chishti and Muhammad Usama. The judge ordered the police to present the suspects again once the remand was over for further proceedings.
Meanwhile, local authorities in Gujrat district on Friday night dug trenches at at least three places along GT Road.
Hours earlier, both bridges over Chenab and Jhelum rivers were sealed as heavy vehicles parked along the carriageways. Entry and exit from Gujrat through several other points for vehicular traffic was also restricted.
However, pedestrians were still allowed to cross the bridges, although officials warned this could be difficult today if more vehicles are added to the barriers.
Trenches have been dug near Jhelum bridge in Sarai Alamgir and on the Wazirabad side of the Chenab.
For the first time, a trench was also dug on GT Road within Kharian town to make movement of vehicles virtually impossible. Previously, these trenches were typically limited to approaches close to river bridges, including during the 2021 TLP march.
A senior police official said preparations were being made to create additional trenches at various points along GT Road within Gujrat district if the march cannot be contained in Gujranwala.
Heavy containers have also been parked at various locations in Gujrat city and in Lalamusa, Kharian and Sarai Alamgir towns.
Lockdowns have brought daily life to a standstill, with numerous social and business events postponed. The local business fraternity expressed concern over the prolonged lockdown and urged the government to adopt a viable policy to address such situations without crippling business activity.
Wajih Ahmad Sheikh in Lahore and Waseem Ashraf Butt in Gujrat also contributed to this report.
Published in Dawn, October 11, 2025
