The march staged to protest Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and push the government on Pro-Palestinian demands, saw violent clashes with police and dozens of protestors being Killed and injured with the exact numbers are still not confirmed by media. Pakistan‘s Punjab Police launched a massive crackdown on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protesters overnight in Muridke, triggering violent clashes that left several demonstrators killed and injured. Security forces used baton charges and fired tear gas as well as the Islamist group’s march, led by party chief Saad Hussain Rizvi, pressed on from Lahore.
Initial reports also said that, TLP chief Saad Hussain Rivzi’s brother Anas Rizvi has also been shot and critically injured during protests in Murdike, and Saad Rizvi himself injured his shoulder after jumping off the container to escape and has not been shot.
Even Pakistan Rangers reportedly engaged with TLP activists, with protesters accusing the paramilitary of using sophisticated weapons against them. The march, part of TLP’s anti-government, pro-Gaza, and anti-Israel campaign, has seen protesters set up camps in Muridke despite multiple police blockades along their route to Islamabad.
According to reports, the TLP leadership has shown no indication of backing down from the confrontation.
The unrest followed days of escalating tension in Pakistan’s Punjab province. Last week, violent clashes broke out in Lahore as police tried to prevent the TLP from advancing toward the capital for a planned pro-Palestinian rally. The group accused the police of firing indiscriminately, claiming 11 of its members were killed and more than 50 injured.
A viral video from the protests captured the sounds of gunfire as a TLP leader said, “11 TLP people have been killed since the morning. Continuous shelling and firing is happening”.
Protests, which began on October 9 over Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, intensified on October 11. Police fired tear gas and baton-charged demonstrators, while protesters retaliated with stones. Pakistani media reported that dozens of officers were also injured in the clashes.
“Arrest is not a problem, bullets are not a problem, shells are not a problem – martyrdom is our destiny,” the TLP chief reportedly told the protesters in Lahore during Friday prayers.
Pakistan’s Minister Talal Chaudhry condemned the TLP, accusing the group of exploiting the Gaza crisis for “political gain” and reaffirming that the government would not tolerate violence or coercion by any organisation.
Mobile data services were partially resumed in Rawalpindi and Islamabad as negotiations with the TLP leadership got underway in Lahore. Meanwhile, authorities have detained roughly 170 people linked to TLP in Sahiwal division under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), Dawn reported.
Officials said that the law enforcement twice stopped TLP supporters from advancing beyond Muridke on Sunday, deploying large police contingents from four districts around the main procession. The TLP had arrived in Muridke on Saturday and held a sit-in after authorities dug extensive trenches to block access routes.
The unrest comes as Israel and Hamas finalise the initial phase of a Gaza peace agreement brokered by United States President Donald Trump.
Pakistan is once again on the brink of chaos as violent clashes erupt between Tehreek–e–Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) supporters and security forces. In Lahore, protests against the government have descended into violent street fights where live ammunition and tear gas have been used. Extreme police tactics, including the alleged use of acid during the crackdown, are reported by witnesses.
The protests, aimed at the country’s powerful Army and current government, have triggered widespread anger, signaling one of the largest uprisings Pakistan has seen in recent years. As violence spreads across Punjab and communication lines are cut in key cities like Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the government is struggling to maintain control. Growing public discontent and the TLP’s disobedience are causing instability, and Pakistan is at a crossroads that might change the country’s political and military environment. Street tensions are still high, the number of casualties is still rising, and the question now is whether Pakistan’s leadership can control the rage before it becomes a national emergency.
