Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) supporters have camped in Muridke for the night as they continue their attempts to reach Islamabad to stage a protest in “solidarity with the Palestinians”.
The Punjab Police, in an attempt to stop the march towards the federal capital, has reportedly dug a trench on the road.
Earlier in the day, clashes between religious party supporters and police were reported in Shahdara area of Lahore today. At least 40 police officers were injured today, while the TLP claims that more than 10 of its workers were killed in clashes with law enforcement.
The TLP began its protests in Lahore on Thursday and announced plans to march to the US embassy in Islamabad to express its opposition to the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after two years of conflict in Gaza. The demonstrations turned violent on Friday, when police fired baton charges and tear gas at protesters who had stoned them. AFP The journalists saw.
Arrests in Karachi
Karachi police arrested more than a dozen TLP workers on Saturday in a bid to break up their protest at the Karachi Press Club (KPC).
Roads leading to JPC were blocked earlier in the day. DIG South Syed Asad Raza said dawn.com that 18 TLP workers were detained when they reached Regal Chowk in Saddar.
A spokesman for the religious party, Mohammad Rehan Khan, said dawn.com that as part of the nationwide protest, they had planned to demonstrate in front of the KPC against the Punjab government’s action against their protest rally in Lahore. He said that as all roads leading to the KPC were blocked, they could not reach the venue and confirmed that some party workers were detained by the police.
‘They were expelled from Lahore’
Addressing the media, Lahore Deputy Inspector General of Operations (DIG) Faisal Kamran said that some police personnel were still admitted to hospitals and undergoing treatment, while others had been discharged. He added that TLP protesters also damaged government properties.
“We have records of 15 calls from citizens claiming that protesters have stolen their vehicles. You have seen how this group behaves in the past. The common citizen is the one who is suffering the most, the roads are blocked and property has been damaged,” said the senior police official.
He explained that the Shahdara police station was also ransacked by TLP supporters. “The frontline force for internal security is the police, and state institutions support us. We have expelled them from Lahore and the situation has calmed down to some extent. We are trying to ensure that there is as little damage as possible.”
Offering an olive branch to the religious party, Kamran said they are open to talks. “But if they continue to cause public nuisance and vandalize property, then the State is prepared to deal with the situation.”
Giving an overview of the situation, he said 112 police officers have been injured since the start of the protest, adding that some police officers are also missing. “They [the TLP] They are showing images of where they are taking the kidnapped police officers,” the DIG said.
Punjab police question TLP’s motives
The Punjab Police released a lengthy statement on X questioning the TLP’s motives behind the march. Video footage attached to the post showed police officers being beaten and cars with shattered windshields.
“A peace deal has been reached in Gaza, Muslims there are celebrating and thanking Allah for establishing peace; why are TLP protesters wreaking havoc in Pakistan?” police asked in the statement.
“From such actions it is clear that the TLP people are also saddened by the establishment of peace in Gaza and this anarchist group is actively supporting the mission of Israeli Jews,” the statement added.
Police questioned how kidnapping police personnel and engaging in widespread vandalism demonstrated loyalty to the people of Gaza.
“Some TLP anarchist groups are deceiving the public in the name of religion and trying to disturb the peace,” the statement read. “Attacks on police officers and road closures will not be tolerated under any circumstances.”
Punjab Police warned that those who took the law into their own hands would be dealt with with an iron fist and urged the public to avoid supporting “mischievous elements”, be wary of misinformation and cooperate with authorities.
Twin Cities Residents Face Disruptions
Residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have complained of road closures, traffic jams and mobile network outages.
Activities in the twin cities remained disrupted for the second day in a row amid security measures and traffic restrictions, with authorities also suspending mobile internet connections and closing main roads. Shipping containers were being placed as barriers on the capital’s main roads in anticipation of the arrival of protesters.
Islamabad police spokesman Jawad Taqi said dawn.com that no TLP protesters have entered the city, nor have any within the capital taken to the streets to demonstrate.
“Except for Faizabad, all roads in Islamabad are open,” he said in a voice note. “There are no problems. Some containers have been placed on certain roads, but traffic can still move.”
According to an earlier notification issued by Islamabad Traffic Police, “entry of all types of heavy vehicles into the capital will remain suspended until further notice.”
“Traffic diversions are being implemented due to law and order situation in Faizabad area of Islamabad and commuters are advised to use alternative routes to avoid inconvenience,” the notification added.
Residents of the Twin Cities expressed frustration over severe traffic disruptions.
Islamabad resident Shazia Tahir said dawn.com that his usual 20-minute commute to work took more than an hour due to multiple road closures.
“I went to Radio Pakistan [office] This morning, Khanna road was closed and all roads connecting to Rawalpindi were blocked. Faizabad was also sealed. From the highway near Khanna Bridge, I had to take the service road through Sohan, then pass Margalla town, take the road between Aabpara and F-6 to finally reach the Red Zone via Margalla Road. It took us an hour and fifteen minutes to get there,” he said.
Others reported communications disruptions in addition to traffic problems. Fauzia Kulsoom, a journalist from Rawalpindi, said dawn.com that mobile services in Islamabad’s Blue Zone remained suspended from 2 pm to 5 pm the previous day.
“The Internet has been down for two days,” he said, adding that his work has been severely affected by it.
Some residents described partial closures and heavy congestion in several areas. Riaz Ali, a resident of Bahria Town, Islamabad, said dawn.com that, although containers had been placed and certain routes blocked, it was still possible to move to other places.
“There are containers, some roads are blocked (Faizabad and GT Road), but otherwise everything is open. I have not traveled in the last few days, but data services are still cut,” he said.
He added that on GT Road near City Grammar School, bins had been placed on both sides, causing serious traffic jams. “There were large trucks and only a few cyclists managed to pass through the narrow spaces between the containers. The police presence was minimal, just a couple of officers. At the entrance to Bahria Phase 7, the traffic was also congested. In short, yesterday the traffic was very congested in this part of Bahria,” he said.
Meanwhile, citizens from other parts of the country trying to travel to Islamabad also expressed frustration over road closures and communication outages.
Ramna Saeed, a resident of Islamabad currently in Gujranwala, said she could not travel to the capital for her LLB final exam due to road closures.
“All the main entry points (Chanda Qila, Sadoki, Kamoki) were closed since morning and trenches were dug overnight. We have not seen such measures here before,” he said.
Ramna added that students and commuters were left stranded, with little information on when routes would reopen. “The mobile internet connection has also been disrupted and although calls are working, 3G and 4G services are barely working,” he said.
Key intersections including Committee Chowk, Liaquat Bagh Turn, DAV College Chowk, MH Chowk and Naz Cinema were closed for traffic. In Saddar area, Haider Road, Suzuki Stand and Murree Chowk were also blocked, while approach roads leading to Kachehri Chowk remained inaccessible, according to the traffic police notification.
He said partial traffic movement had resumed at Sawan Bridge and New Gulzar-i-Quaid, but major junctions such as Chakri, Thalian, Brahma and Mandara remained closed, cutting off Rawalpindi’s access to major highways. The situation was similar at rural entry points, with Dholtala Mor, Misa Kaswal, Bai Khan Bridge and GT Road near Gujar Khan all closed.
Meanwhile, highway authorities said that M-1 was open only towards Peshawar, while M-2 remained closed in Rawalpindi and Lahore directions.
Clashes on Friday after protest call
About 50 police officers were injured in Friday’s clashes, a senior police official said. AFPwhile TLP claims that some of its members had been killed could not be independently verified.
The TLP said the protests had originally been organized to oppose the Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, which Pakistan supported, but were now aimed at expressing solidarity with the Palestinians.
“We have no demands, other than to show solidarity with the people of Gaza,” said Allama Muhammad Irfan, a senior member of the TLP. AFP as the protesters left for Islamabad.
“We have no idea when we will reach Islamabad, but the government is being brutal with us. We are not negotiating with the government at all,” Irfan said.
Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry vowed on Thursday not to allow protesters to enter Islamabad.
“There is no place for any radical activity in Islamabad,” he told reporters. “Why is an agreement that is acceptable to Hamas and Palestine not acceptable to you?”
Israel declared a ceasefire and began withdrawing its troops around noon on Friday, as tens of thousands of Palestinians began walking back to their devastated homes.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hailed the deal on Thursday as a “historic opportunity to ensure lasting peace.”
“We will continue to work with partners, friends and leaders of sister nations to ensure that peace, security and dignity of the Palestinian people are established,” he said.
More to follow.
With additional contributions from AFP.
