Islamabad . These days, the demonstrations organized by Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP) in Pakistan have kept the Shahbaz Sharif government awake. This protest organized in support of Palestine has now turned violent in which at least 5 people including a police officer have died. There have been many reports of clashes between police and protesters in Pakistan’s Punjab province on Monday. Many vehicles have also been burnt. Meanwhile, more than 100 people have been arrested so far.

Earlier, the TLP had called for a march from Lahore to Islamabad last Thursday. The group had announced plans to march to the US Embassy in Islamabad to protest US President Donald Trump’s Gaza agreement to end the war between Israel and Hamas. However, the protests turned violent on Friday when the radical group called for a “Labbaik or Aqsa Million March” to Islamabad. Pakistani authorities strongly opposed this move and used batons and tear gas against protesters amid stone-pelting.
Why the latest violence?

Authorities also suspended mobile and internet services in Islamabad and neighboring Rawalpindi. During Friday’s protests, about 50 police officers were injured, while the TLP claimed some of its members were killed. The following day, authorities arrested more than 100 people during the protests. New clashes broke out on Monday when protesters tried to remove shipping containers seized by the TLP and clashed with police in Lahore.

Currently, Pakistani authorities have closed roads around Lahore and Islamabad. A large number of security personnel have been deployed, and the TLP protest camp in Muridke has been surrounded. Meanwhile, TLP supporters are camped in Muridke, near Lahore. Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif held a high-level meeting with Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Monday.
What is Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan?

Until a few years ago, Tehreek-e-Labbaik was not a prominent political organization in Pakistan. However, in recent years, the organization has been in the news more for its violent involvement in religious issues, particularly those to blasphemy and the Ahmadiyya community, than for its political stance. The TLP emerged in 2015 when it organized widespread protests to defend a man convicted of murdering former Punjab Governor Salman Taseer for opposing Pakistan’s blasphemy law. As time passed, the party gained prominence. In the 2018 elections, the group campaigned heavily on defending the country’s blasphemy law. Since then, the TLP has been known for violent protests, especially on religious issues.

On its website, the TLP claims to be the only political and religious movement in Pakistan that has consistently defended the honor of the Holy Prophet. The party has also staged numerous violent protests, particularly against insults to the Quran abroad. Furthermore, this radical Islamic party has been in the news for attacks on members of the Ahmadiyya community and their holy sites in 2025.
What has the TLP said about the recent protests?

The TLP said the protest was originally organized to oppose the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which Pakistan supported. It was also intended to express solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza War. Senior TLP member Allama Muhammad Irfan said the party had no demands and the march was to demonstrate solidarity with the people of Gaza. “We don’t know when we will reach Islamabad, but the government is brutalizing us. We are not negotiating with the government at all,” Irfan told AFP.