The government has decided to outlaw the hardline Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) under the Anti-
A summary proposing the same has been sent to the federal cabinet for approval, the sources added.
Earlier, security forces swinging batons and firing teargas moved before dawn Wednesday to clear sit-ins by supporters and activists of TLP in Islamabad and elsewhere after at least five people died in clashes, officials said.
Demonstrators had blocked roads in several major cities late on Monday, including Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi to protest the arrest of Saad Hussain Rizvi, head of the hardline religious party.
On Tuesday, Rizvi was charged with instigating the murder of a police constable, who authorities say was kidnapped by protesters and later beaten to death.
Major roads across the country were blocked by the protesters on Monday and Tuesday, but by Tuesday evening police had been able to clear most of the crowds, except in Lahore.
Islamabad Police cleared the Faizabad Interchange that was blocked by protestors. A heavy police contingent was also deployed in Bhara Kahu while all roads leading to the French embassy inside the Diplomatic Enclave were blocked.
In Rawalpindi, Lahore, and elsewhere in Punjab, major roads and highways were cleared of protestors and opened for the public.
In a statement, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar expressed satisfaction over the restoration of law and order in the province. “Most of the roads in the province have been reopened. The police, civil administration, and law enforcement agencies are performing their duties,” he said.
He stated that the government was pursuing a zero-tolerance policy against those violating the law. “We will not allow anyone to damage public or private property. Violence and rioting will not be tolerated,” he said, adding that strict action will be taken against those breaking the law and disturbing law and order.
A senior Lahore police official said that 100 workers and supporters of the TLP party had been arrested so far.
