MURIDKE, OCT 11: Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) supporters reached Muridke on Saturday afternoon as they continued attempts to reach the federal capital to stage a protest in ‘solidarity with Palestinians’.
Clashes between supporters of the religious party and police were reported in the Shahdara area of Lahore earlier today. At least 40 police personnel have been injured today, while the TLP claims that more than 10 of its workers have been killed in clashes with law enforcers.
TLP began its protests in Lahore on Thursday and announced plans to march to the US embassy in Islamabad to voice its opposition to the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after two years of conflict in Gaza. The demonstrations turned violent on Friday, with police launching baton charges and firing tear gas at protesters who had pelted them with rocks, AFP journalists saw.
‘Cleared them from Lahore’
DIG Operation Lahore Faisal Kamran, addressing the media, said some police personnel are still admitted in hospitals and undergoing treatment, while others have been discharged. He added that TLP protesters have also damaged government property.
“We have records of 15 calls from citizens stating that the 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, roads are blocked, and property has been damaged,” said the senior police official.
He elaborated that the police station in Shahdara was also ransacked by TLP supporters. “The frontline force for internal security is the police, and state institutions are backing us. We have cleared them from Lahore and the situation has settled somewhat. We are trying to make sure there is as little damage as possible.”
Offering the religious party an olive branch, Kamran said that they are open to talks. “But if you continue to inconvenience the public and vandalise property, then the state is ready to deal with the situation.”
Giving an overview of the situation, he said 112 police personnel have been injured since the start of the protest and added that some police personnel are also missing. “They [the TLP] are showing footage of where they are taking the abducted policemen,” said the DIG.
Residents in twin cities face disruptions
Residents in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have complained of road closures, traffic jams, and mobile network disruptions.
Activities across the twin cities remained disrupted for the second consecutive day amid security measures and traffic restrictions, with authorities also suspending mobile internet connections and closing major roads. Shipping containers were being placed as barriers across major roads in the capital in anticipation of the arrival of the protesters.
Islamabad Police spokesperson Jawad Taqi told Dawn.com that no TLP protesters have entered the city, nor have any within the capital come out to demonstrate.
“With the exception of Faizabad, all roads in Islamabad are open,” he said in a voice note. “There are no issues. Some containers have been placed on certain roads, but traffic is still able to move.”
According to an earlier notification issued by the 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 the law and order situation in Islamabad’s Faizabad area, and commuters are advised to use alternative routes to avoid inconvenience,” the notification added.
Residents of the twin cities voiced frustration over the severe traffic disruptions.
Shazia Tahir, a resident of Islamabad, told Dawn.com that her usual 20-minute commute to work took more than an hour due to multiple road closures.
“I went to Radio Pakistan this morning — the highway from Khanna was closed, and all connecting streets 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 one hour and fifteen minutes to get there,” she said.
Others reported communication disruptions alongside traffic issues. Fauzia Kulsoom, a journalist from Rawalpindi, told Dawn.com that mobile services in Islamabad’s Blue Area remained suspended from 2pm to 5pm the previous day.
“The Internet has been down for two days,” she said, adding that her work has been severely disrupted because of that.
Some residents described partial closures and heavy congestion in several areas. Riaz Ali, a resident of Bahria Town, Islamabad, told Dawn.com that while containers had been placed and certain routes blocked, movement elsewhere remained possible.
“Containers exist, some roads are blocked — Faizabad and GT Road — but things are otherwise open. I haven’t travelled over the past couple of days, but data services are still off,” he said.
He added that on GT Road, near City Grammar School, containers had been placed on both sides, causing severe traffic jams. “There were large trucks, and only a few bikers managed to pass through the narrow gaps between the containers. Police presence was minimal, just a couple of officers. At the entrance to Bahria Phase 7, traffic was also backed up. In short, traffic was choked badly in this part of Bahria yesterday,” he said.
Meanwhile, citizens in other parts of the country trying to travel to Islamabad also voiced frustration over the road closures and communication outages.
Ramna Saeed, an Islamabad resident currently in Gujranwala, said she was unable to travel to the capital for her final LLB exam due to road closures.
“All main entry points — Chanda Qila, Sadoki, Kamoki — were shut since morning, and trenches were dug overnight. We haven’t seen such measures here before,” she said.
Ramna added that students and commuters were left stranded, with little information on when routes would reopen. “Mobile internet has also been disrupted, and although calls work, 3G and 4G services are barely functioning,” she said.
Key intersections, including Committee Chowk, Liaquat Bagh Turn, DAV College Chowk, MH Chowk, and Naz Cinema, were closed to traffic. In the Saddar area, Haider Road, Suzuki Stand, and Murree Chowk were also blocked, while access roads leading to Kachehri Chowk remained inaccessible, per the traffic police notification.
It said partial traffic movement resumed at Sawan Bridge and New Gulzar-e-Quaid, but major interchanges such as Chakri, Thalian, Brahma, and Mandara stayed closed, severing Rawalpindi’s access from major highways. The situation was similar at rural entry points, with Dholtala Mor, Misa Kaswal, Bai Khan Bridge, and G T Road near Gujar Khan all shut down.
Meanwhile, motorway authorities said M-1 was open only towards Peshawar, while M-2 remained closed in both the Rawalpindi and Lahore directions.
As many as 50 police officers were injured in Friday’s clashes, a senior police official told AFP, while TLP claims that some of its members had been killed could not be verified independently.
The TLP said the protests had originally been organised to oppose the Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, which Pakistan backed, but was now intended to express solidarity with Palestinians.
“We have no demands, apart from showing solidarity with the people of Gaza,” senior TLP member Allama Muhammad Irfan told AFP as the protesters set off 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.
Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry vowed on Thursday not to let the protesters enter Islamabad.
“There is no room 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 pulling back its troops at around noon on Friday, as tens of thousands of Palestinians began walking back towards their devastated homes.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hailed the deal on Thursday as a “historic opportunity to secure lasting peace”.
“We will continue to work with partners, friends and the leaders of brotherly nations to ensure that peace, security and dignity for the Palestinian people are established,” he said.
More to follow. With additional input from AFP.
