Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) supporters reached Muridke on Saturday night as the religious party resumed its march toward Islamabad, a day after violent clashes with police brought parts of Lahore to a standstill.
The “Gaza March”, led by party chief Saad Hussain Rizvi, set out from Multan Road on Friday afternoon in what the TLP describes as a peaceful show of solidarity with Palestine. The rally defied section 144, which the Punjab government imposed for ten days, and police sealed key routes with containers and barricades at Shahdara, Saggiyan Bridge, Shamla Pahari and between Iqbal Town and Scheme Mor.
Violence erupted as police used baton charges and tear gas to halt the column, while protesters responded with stone-pelting. Clashes spread across Batti Chowk, Azadi Flyover and Samanabad. Police said TLP activists attacked law enforcers with stones and iron bars, injuring over 100 officers, and insisted no live ammunition was used and that “maximum restraint” was exercised.
The TLP accused the police of excessive force, alleging officers fired live rounds and tear gas shells, and claimed about two dozen of its workers were killed and more than 200 injured. Those claims could not be independently verified. Edhi rescue officials said several injured policemen were moved to hospitals across the city.
After an hour-long standoff on Friday, the marchers staged a sit-in at Shahdara on Lahore’s northern edge before pushing on to Muridke, where party leaders announced an overnight stay and a fresh push toward the capital on Sunday. With Islamabad on high alert — containers at entry points, metro bus services suspended and mobile internet partially disrupted — the coming hours will test whether the march reaches the city limits.
