MM News

ISLAMABAD: The PTI-led federal government today (Thursday) issued a notification to ban the Tehreek e Labaaik Pakistan (TLP) party under the Anti Terrorism Act 1997 and declared it a proscribed organisation.

According to a notification issued by the Interior Ministry, “The Federal Government has reasonable grounds to believe that TLP is engaged in terrorism, has acted in a manner prejudicial to the peace and security of the country, involved in creating anarchy in the country by intimidating the public.”

The organisation has been banned under section 11B (1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 (XXVII of 1997). The notification stated that the TLP was engaged in acts that “caused grievous bodily harm, hurt and death to the personnel of Law Enforcement Agencies and innocent bystanders.”

“The TLP also attacked civilians and officials, created wide-scale hurdles, threatened, abused and promoted hatred, vandalized and ransacked public and government properties including vehicles and caused arson,” it added.

The religo-political party has also been held responsible for blocking essential health supplies to hospitals, “and has used, threatened, coerced, intimidated, and overawed the government, the public and created a sense of fear and insecurity in the society and the public at large.”

Earlier in the day, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, addressing a press conferece, said that the designs of the religious party for Pakistan were dangerous. “They were adamant on coming at the Faizabad Interchange for the fourth time. This is why we took decisions to prevent that,” he added.