Pakistan’s Punjab Police and Rangers engaged in violent clashes with supporters of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) after the Islamist group staged a march from Lahore toward Islamabad, demanding government action on pro-Palestinian issues. The confrontation, part of TLP’s ongoing anti-Israel and pro-Gaza campaign, left dozens of protesters injured as authorities used tear gas, baton charges, and paramilitary interventions to disperse the crowds.
TLP leader Saad Hussain Rizvi encouraged followers to persist despite the crackdown, reportedly saying, “Arrest is not a problem, bullets are not a problem, shells are not a problem – martyrdom is our destiny.” Protesters set up camps in Muridke, defying multiple police barricades. Viral videos showed chaotic scenes of stone-throwing and gunfire amid claims of casualties on both sides.
Authorities detained nearly 170 TLP members under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) while partially restoring mobile data services in Rawalpindi and Islamabad as negotiations continued. The unrest coincides with the first phase of a Gaza peace agreement brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, highlighting how international conflicts can trigger domestic unrest in Pakistan.
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