News Desk |
Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief, Khadim Hussain Rizvi was arrested by the police from his Hujra (residence) in Lahore on Friday night. Information Minister, Fawad Chaudhary said that the chief was taken in ‘protective custody’ by police as Rizvi refused to withdraw call for protest on November 25.
Since then over a thousand workers of TLP have been arrested from different cities of Punjab under Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance, Punjab Home Department said on Saturday (today). As many as 95, are arrested from Lahore alone. The arrestees will be detained for 30 days, in view of the threat they pose to the public property, safety and peace and order under the three sections of the MPO ordinance, read the notification issued by the home department.
Khadim Hussain Rizvi had announced the observance of martyr’s day and had called his followers to gather on the same location– Faizabad interchange.
Section 144 has been imposed in the province till Dec 1. Rallies, demonstrations as well as any congregations of five or more people are banned under the section. Use or display of any kind of weapons is also prohibited. The crackdown came ahead of Rizvi’s call to party members to observe Martyrs’ day on November 25 (today).
Last year on the same day, clashes between TLP protestors and law enforcement agencies claimed many lives. Faizabad dharna [sit-in] was staged by TLP, paralyzing the federal capital. The protestors called for the sacking of then Law Minister Zahid Hamid and strict action against people behind the amendment to Khatm-e-Nabuwwat oath in Elections Act 2017 as it changed the word oath to the declaration.
Read more: Crackdown on TLP: “Don’t challenge the writ of state”
After weeks-long-protest and clashes between security forces and protestors, Zahim Hamid had to resign to make the fiasco end. Khadim Hussain Rizvi had announced the observance of martyr’s day and had called his followers to gather on the same location– Faizabad interchange.
Information Minister in his Twitter post said that the TLP had been a continuous threat to the lives and properties of public and in disguise of religion, it had been doing politics. Minister urged the public to stay calm and the situation was under control.