Islamabad- Violent clashes broke out in Lahore late Wednesday night after police launched a raid on the headquarters of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in a bid to arrest its chief, Saad Hussain Rizvi. The operation quickly escalated into chaos as TLP workers resisted law enforcement, pelting stones and attacking police with iron rods.
At least three police constables were reported injured in the confrontation, which turned Multan Road into a battleground. Police resorted to heavy tear gas shelling to disperse the enraged mob, while videos circulating on social media — which could not be independently verified — showed TLP supporters fleeing amid volleys of tear gas, and later displaying spent bullet casings and shell fragments.
According to police sources, the crackdown followed intelligence reports suggesting that the group was mobilizing supporters from across Punjab to converge on Lahore, ahead of a planned anti-Israel demonstration outside the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad on Friday.
TLP’s official statement, released in the early hours of Thursday, condemned the raids and claimed that several of its workers had been detained in Lahore and adjoining areas. The party accused the government of using “state oppression” to suppress peaceful protest.
Security on High Alert in Rawalpindi and Islamabad
In anticipation of the TLP’s planned march towards Islamabad on October 10, security has been significantly heightened in Rawalpindi and the twin cities region.
City Police Officer (CPO) Syed Khalid Hamdani chaired a high-level meeting on Wednesday night to review law and order preparedness, directing police units to ensure public safety and prevent any disruption to normal life.
“No road blockades, damage to property, or attacks on law enforcement will be tolerated. Those who violate the law will be dealt with strictly,” the CPO warned, emphasizing a zero-tolerance policy toward violence or vandalism under the guise of protest.
Authorities in Islamabad have already begun placing shipping containers at Faizabad Interchange — the site of multiple past TLP sit-ins — to block potential entry routes to the federal capital. Hotel owners along Murree Road and nearby areas have reportedly been instructed to vacate premises as a precautionary measure.
For now, all routes between Islamabad and Rawalpindi remain open, but officials have indicated that closures may be implemented if the situation deteriorates.
The situation remains tense but under control, with law enforcement agencies on alert across Punjab and the twin cities to prevent the unrest from spreading.
