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Tag: TLP

  • TLP says ‘Aurat March’ against Islamic norms

    TLP says ‘Aurat March’ against Islamic norms

    “If any attempts are made for obscenity on March 8 in Islamabad, we will condemn it,” Abdul Majeed Hazarvi, the chief of JUI-F Islamabad wing had warned….reports Asian Lite News

    Pakistan’s opposition party Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has voiced its opposition to the Aurat March, women’s rights movement in Pakistan saying it was against the norms of the society as well as Islam.

    This comes at a time when other parties like Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) which are at loggerheads, have also come together to oppose Aurat March.

    TLP leader Mohammad Yaqub Saifi on Saturday said the participants of the Aurat March chanted unethical slogans. He further opposed the holding of the march on the occasion of the International Women’s Day on March 8, reported the Dawn.

    Earlier, ahead of Aurat March that coincides with International Women’s Day, the federal religious affairs minister and a leading light of the JUI-F have both termed it ‘un-Islamic’.

    “If any attempts are made for obscenity on March 8 in Islamabad, we will condemn it,” Abdul Majeed Hazarvi, the chief of JUI-F Islamabad wing had warned.

    Their argument would have weight if backed by logic, knowledge or even plain common sense but their driver appears to preconceived, archaic notions about a woman’s place in society and outright misogyny.

    Anyone questioning the legitimacy of the women’s rights movement need not embark on a deep study of history or sociology but merely look at a few recent incidents to understand why the status quo is unacceptable, as it is patently unjust, the Dawn reported.

    Focus on wages, security, peace

    The Aurat March will focus on wages, security and peace for women, local media reported.

    The slogan for this year’s Aurat March on International Women’s Day is Ujrat, Tahaffuz Aur Sukoon, said social worker Sheema Kermani at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Thursday. She said this year, it will be the fifth Aurat March, Dawn newspaper reported.

    After her speech, an organiser of the march put forward the three central demands saying that the march is dedicated to the labour and hard work of women and khawajasira.

    The three demands include that “all workers, whether they’re working in factories, on farms and homesteads, in homes as domestic workers or as sanitation workers be given a living wage based on access to safe housing, quality education and affordable healthcare for themselves and their families. As a first step immediate reinforcement of the minimum wage across all sectors, and for all actors who refuse this to be fined under the law,” the Pakistani newspaper reported.

    “The provision of social security and protection through monthly stipends for all women and khawajasira community in view of the care labour they perform and economic violence they are subjected to,” Dawn newspaper reported.

    “The state prioritise the welfare of the child by putting an end to child labour, trafficking for work, and bonded labour. The government should provide childcare and protection centres and child support services in every district of Karachi and in the rest of Sindh,” the Pakistani newspaper reported. (ANI)

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  • TLP remains Army leverage against Imran Khan

    TLP remains Army leverage against Imran Khan

    The TLP’s 2021 protests in Punjab took place when the controversy over the appointment of the new Inter-Services Intelligence Chief had brought out in the open, the differences between Imran Khan and Chief Of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa….reports Asian Lite News

    The agreement with the proscribed extremist group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) demonstrates that the Pakistan Army is using the group to keep in check the civilian government led by Prime Minister Imran Khan of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    Now that it has the upper hand in Afghanistan since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in August 2021, it appears that the Pakistani Army is once again activating its proxies — the religious extremist groups — to advance its domestic political ambitions, as per an article by Sameer Patil, former Fellow, International Security Studies Programme, Gateway House.

    The TLP’s 2021 protests in Punjab took place when the controversy over the appointment of the new Inter-Services Intelligence Chief had brought out in the open, the differences between Imran Khan and Chief Of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

    Hence, the military may have used the TLP protests and the subsequent agreement to signal the civilian rulers that there would be political consequences of their actions, if not immediately, then in the future, the article said.

    “With the agreement with the TLP, Imran Khan may have staved off the pressure for now, but the challenges for him are far from over. Growing pressure from the opposition and alliance parties, speculation about former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s return, a collapsing economy — these will further weaken PTI’s position in the run-up to the 2023 general elections. The military’s displeasure will only increase PTI’s vulnerabilities allowing the military to give further prominence to its proxies,” it added.

    This is worrisome, with serious implications for India and counterterrorism efforts as a whole, for the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan has emboldened the Pakistani Army to activate its proxies like the TLP, to advance its domestic political ambitions and openly support extremist organisations.

    This brazen support to the TLP does not come as a surprise as the Army has used extremist groups like the TLP to send a ‘message’ to the civilian rulers, who work at cross-purposes with the military, the article said.

    The TLP, as a Barelvi group, has a unidirectional focus on the issues of ‘Khatm-e-Nabuwwat’ (finality of the prophethood) and ‘Tauheen-e-Risalat’ (blaspheming the Prophet). This focus has made it an influential religious-political group.

    Pak NSA warns TLP protesters

    The Pakistan military perceives the TLP as a ‘containable outfit’ that can do its dirty work rather than making them hostile against the state.

    Aligning with the Army also helps the TLP to widen its base. The group understands the ruling PTI’s growing vulnerabilities at all levels — political, economic and foreign policy and capitalises on them accordingly.

    Since the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, radical groups in Pakistan have become emboldened and question the democratic system in the country. Calling for the implementation of Sharia law, the TLP’s activities are in line with this trend, it added.

    The military’s patronage and an emotive religious issue of blasphemy have made the TLP an influential actor in Pakistan’s politics. The civilian government’s abject surrender to the TLP has set a dangerous precedent as future civilian governments, too, will be vulnerable to the coercive actions of extremist groups.

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  • Details of deal with TLP expected to be out within 10 days

    Details of deal with TLP expected to be out within 10 days

    Rashid informed the media that the agreement was negotiated by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Punjab government and said that he was not a part of the agreement process…reports Asian Lite News

    Pakistan’s Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Saturday set the timeframe for the announcement of the details of the government’s recent agreement with the recently de-proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) reported a local media.

    Rashid hoped that the details of the agreement would be out within seven to 10 days, reported Dawn.

    Notably, the Pakistani government had reached an agreement with TLP on October 31, the details of which Mufti Muneebur Rehman, the designated mediator, had said will be revealed at the appropriate time. The violent protests had lasted almost two weeks that claimed the lives of seven policemen.

    “An agreement has been decided with the TLP. Whatever is in that agreement will come out to the people in a few days,” Dawn quoted Rashid as saying while speaking to the media in Islamabad on Saturday.

    “The hope is that whatever their matters have been decided, [their details] will come out in seven to 10 days and they will be positive,” the Pakistani minister further added.

    Rashid informed the media that the agreement was negotiated by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Punjab government and said that he was not a part of the agreement process, reported Dawn.

    54 TLP names removed

    The names of 54 members of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) have been removed from the fourth schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, in the Rawalpindi division by the Punjab home department.

    Citing sources, Dawn reported that 28 of the individuals belonged to the Rawalpindi district, 14 to Chakwal, 11 to Attock and one to Jhelum.

    The name of TLP chief Hafiz Mohammad Saad was removed from the fourth schedule of Pakistan anti-terror act on Wednesday.

    A notification issued by the Punjab Home Department on Wednesday stated that the “name of Hafiz Mohammad Saad, being Ameer of TLP, a proscribed organisation, was listed in the 4th Schedule under Section 11-E on the recommendations of District Intelligence Committee, Lahore,” Dawn reported.

    According to the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, anyone whose name is placed on the fourth schedule is bound to inform the police before leaving their permanent residence and upon return.

    An individual placed on the watch list can’t leave the country as their name is also put on the Exit Control List (ECL).

    The TLP was banned by the Pakistan government after anti-France protests broke out in April this year where the supporters of the outfit took to the streets to protests against France over caricatures of Prophet Muhammad.

    Imran Khan-led government revoked banned outfit Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLPs) proscribed status early this month and removed the group’s name from the First Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.

    The protests soon turned violent and exposed the grim security situation in Pakistan.

    During the violent protests, hundreds of protesters and police personnel were injured and thousands of TLP activists and supporters were arrested and booked for attacking law enforcement personnel and blocking main roads and highways. (ANI)

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  • Pakistan takes TLP chief off terror list

    Pakistan takes TLP chief off terror list

    It also noted that the government had removed the TLP from the First Schedule of the Act as a proscribed organisation on November 7….reports Asian Lite News

    The Pakistan Punjab government has removed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Hafiz Saad Hussain Rizvi’s name from the Fourth Schedule – a list of proscribed individuals who are suspected of terrorism or sectarianism under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997, Dawn reported.

    A notification issued by the Punjab Home Department dated November 10 stated that the “name of Hafiz Mohammad Saad, being Ameer of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan, a proscribed organisation, was listed in the 4th Schedule of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, under Section 11-E on the recommendations of District Intelligence Committee, Lahore”.

    It noted that the government had removed the TLP from the First Schedule of the Act as a proscribed organisation on November 7.

    “Therefore, name of Hafiz Mohammad Saad is hereby deleted from the list of 4th Schedule of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, with immediate effect,” it stated, the report said.

    Police had arrested Rizvi on April 12 this year ahead of planned protests by the TLP. The next day, police registered a first information report (FIR) against the TLP chief under sections of the ATA.

    His name was placed on the Fourth Schedule shortly after, on April 16.

    The government had declared the TLP a proscribed outfit under the anti-terror law in April this year, after three days of violent protests by the group’s activists across the country.

    The matter of TLP’s de-proscription again came under consideration following another days-long protest by the TLP, which started on October 20 in Lahore.

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  • Army Rejects Imran’s Pleas on TLP

    Army Rejects Imran’s Pleas on TLP

    According to the sources, the army chief said if the decision-makers were ready to pay the price for using force against the TLP, then the military would do as ordered….reports Asian Lite News

    The row between Pakistan PM and Army continues as the military leadership had advised against the use of force against the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protesters after Prime Minister Imran Khan had authorised it, Dawn reported.

    According to sources privy to the fast-paced developments taking place, the Pakistan prime minister had authorised the use of force against the TLP marchers. Once this authorisation was relayed, the Pakistan military leadership reviewed the operational dynamics and possible consequences of using force against the crowd. They calculated what it would entail to apply force against the marchers, and how many casualties could take place if the law enforcers were to use the last resort and open fire on those refusing to disperse. The leadership also factored into this calculation the probable blowback of casualties and its impact on public opinion.

    According to sources, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa presented all the pros and cons of using force against TLP workers when the political and military leadership gathered to discuss the issue at the National Security Committee meeting that took place on October 29.

    Pic credits IANS

    People who know the details of this meeting have confirmed to Dawn that the army chief said if the decision-makers were ready to pay the price for using force against the TLP, then the military would do as ordered. However, mention was made of the previous instances where the government had used force against citizens — Lal Masjid and the Model Town incident — and participants of the meeting were reminded of the consequences of both episodes.

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    By the time this meeting took place however, the government had already taken a tough line and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had quoted the prime minister as telling the cabinet on October 27 that the government would not allow anyone to take the law into their hands and challenge the writ of the state.

    The military leadership, however, advised against the use of force arguing that it was not a solution. It was then decided to opt for a negotiated settlement in order to, as one source put it, ‘avoid bloodshed’. This is when Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman was identified as someone who could mediate an agreement given his standing as a senior Barelvi cleric.

    Pak NSA warns TLP protesters

    After having taken the political leadership on board, the Pakistan government has in principle decided to make public the agreement it signed with the TLP but kept secret till its implementation was well under way.

    Participants of the briefing told Dawn the senior military officials informed them about how the agreement came about and why it was decided to keep it secret for this long.

    According to these officials, the primary objective was to get the TLP protesters off the streets so the situation could return to normal. In this context, there was a concern that unveiling the contents of the agreement at an early stage could have triggered a public debate that may have impeded its implementation that in turn was linked with the ending of the protest.

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  • TRUCE WITH TTP: Dawn Turns Heat on Imran

    TRUCE WITH TTP: Dawn Turns Heat on Imran

    “The people of Pakistan are major stakeholders in this debate — having borne the brunt of the TTP’s militancy — and they must have their say in the final decision,” according to Dawn’s Editorial, reports Asian Lite News

    Pakistan is back to signing secret peace agreements with militant groups, this time with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has been involved in killing several thousand civilians, including over 130 school children.

    Such abject surrender to terrorists has rarely happened anywhere else but Pakistan. The banned outfit has declared a one-month ceasefire, starting from November 9.

    Domestic Pakistani critics, among them political parties, civil society and sections of the media have called it surrender and capitulation.

    Meanwhile, in its Tuesday Editorial, the Pakistani daily Dawn, criticised this secret deal made by the goverment with TTP without a proper debate in the Parliament “in full glare of the media.”

    “The unfortunate part is that there has been almost negligible public input in this matter. The government has quietly initiated these talks and brought them to a stage where a ceasefire is now in effect. There have been hints all along the way for sure — from the president, the foreign minister and later the prime minister who chose to reveal on an international channel that talks were ongoing with the TTP,” the Editorial said.

    Like his predecessors, Imran Khan has also decided to keep the contours of the peace pact with TTP secret. The public, as always, remain ignorant about the concessions given to TTP.

    According to reports, Afghan Taliban are playing the mediator role between the terror outfit and the government.

    The Editorial said there is “no information in terms of what Pakistan has offered in return for this ceasefire, who is on the government’s team, and what concessions are being considered for those who have the blood of Pakistanis on their hands.”

    It said the issue “may have been discussed at the briefing on Monday and various parliamentary leaders would have given their suggestions, but it is a bit late to be taking them into confidence when negotiations are already in an advanced stage.”

    “The people of Pakistan are major stakeholders in this debate — having borne the brunt of the TTP’s militancy — and they must have their say in the final decision. The parliamentarians should use the material from this briefing to initiate a debate on the floor of both Houses before any final deal with the TTP is agreed upon. The government must come clean on this issue,” Dawn stated.

    Imran Khan had been a supporter of TTP and other militant groups for long which had earned him the sobriquet of ‘Taliban Khan’. Faced with a colossal failure as a Prime Minister and souring relationship with the army, Imran Khan has decided to draw on the support of militant groups like Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and TTP to shore up his position in the hybrid regime that currently rules Pakistan.

    (Pic credit: IANS)

    But Imran Khan seems to be in no mood to learn from the recent history of failures. He is not worried what kind of message his capitulation to TLP and TTP would send to over 250 religious outfits in Pakistan — that violence was rewarding, that holding the country to ransom through acts of ransom and violence would give them a leverage over democratically-elected governments.

    The so-called peace pacts with militant groups, first with TLP and now with TTP, exposes the grim reality of Pakistan’s counter-terrorism policy, a fact which must be noted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) at its next meeting. (with inputs from IANS)

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  • Pakistan cabinet lifts ban on TLP

    Pakistan cabinet lifts ban on TLP

    The federal cabinet approved the removal of the party’s proscribed status through a circulation summary sent by the Interior Ministry…reports Asian Lite News

    The Pakistan federal cabinet has approved the de-proscription of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), after the political party and the government had struck a secretive deal, Geo News reported.

    The federal cabinet approved the removal of the party’s proscribed status through a circulation summary sent by the Interior Ministry, sources said, which mentioned that TLP has assured the government it will not organise violent protests in the future.

    Two days ago, Chief Minister of Punjab Usman Buzdar granted the initial approval to the summary sent to him by the Punjab home department for the revocation of the TLP’s proscribed status, the Geo News report said.

    After granting preliminary approval to the summary, Buzdar had sent it to the Ministry of Interior to take a final decision regarding the matter through circulation.

    In line with the deal struck with the TLP, the Punjab government has already removed the names of 48 party workers among 90 from the fourth schedule.

    The provincial government also decided to release 100 other activists of the proscribed organisation from different jails in the province, the report said.

    On November 2, the government began implementing the accord with TLP, with reports suggesting that it had released more than 800 supporters of the party arrested across Punjab.

    The government signed an accord with the proscribed outfit on October 31, under which workers of the organisation who are not facing any formal criminal charges were to be released.

    The amnesty will also extend to the party’s top leader, Saad Rizvi, the report said.

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  • Pakistan, TLP reach tentative truce

    Pakistan, TLP reach tentative truce

    The interior minister of Afghanistan’s Taliban regime, Sirajuddin Haqqani, has been playing a mediating role between Pakistan and the TTP, bringing the two sides under one roof …reports Asian Lite News

     Pakistani officials have reached a tentative understanding with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to seek a broader peace agreement to end nearly two decades of militancy in the country, Dawn reported.

    Sources said the “direct, face-to-face” talks between the two sides being held in Afghanistan’s south-western Khost province for nearly two weeks had resulted in a tentative understanding to declare a countrywide truce, conditional to the release of some TTP foot soldiers as part of confidence-building measures, the report said.

    The interior minister of Afghanistan’s Taliban regime, Sirajuddin Haqqani, has been playing a mediating role between Pakistan and the TTP, bringing the two sides under one roof to engage in face-to-face talks, said another source.

    It was not immediately clear how many militants in Pakistan’s custody would be allowed to go free, but sources said the number was not more than two dozen people. “These are foot soldiers, not senior or mid-level commanders,” the sources said. “We are testing the ground. We are cautious,” they added.

    Pic credits IANS

    “The truce will come into effect once the prisoners are released,” these sources said, requesting not to be named because they were not authorised to speak to the media.

    “The tentative month-long truce shall be extendable, depending on how these negotiations go forward,” a source said.

    It is not clear who from the Pakistan side is negotiating with the TTP, the report said.

    “Talks are being held directly between senior officers and senior TTP leadership. The TTP includes all groups without exception,” the source added. “There are several proposals on the table and both sides are working to hammer out a workable solution.”

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  • Pak’s Punjab to remove TLP’s proscribed status

    Pak’s Punjab to remove TLP’s proscribed status

    Punjab home department sent a summary to CM Usman Buzdar for removal of TLP’s proscribed status…reports Asian Lite News

    Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Thursday granted the initial approval to the summary sent to him for the revocation of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP)’s proscribed status.

    This comes after several weeks of clashes with banned Islamist group, TLP and Imran Khan government on last Sunday reached an agreement.

    Punjab home department sent a summary to CM Usman Buzdar for removal of TLP’s proscribed status, reported Geo News.

    After granting preliminary approval to the summary, the CM has now sent it to the Federal Cabinet to take a final decision regarding the matter through circulation, sources said.

    The cabinet wing of the services department has now sent the summary to all the ministers of the province for their signatures, while sources added that the summary needs the support of at least 18 ministers to be approved.

    As per the rules, if no reply is received within three days, the summary will be considered approved, reported Geo News.

    The provincial government has also decided to remove the names of 90 activists of the proscribed outfit from the fourth schedule. The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Law Minister Punjab Raja Basharat in Lahore.

    The fourth schedule is a section of the Anti-Terrorism Act under which someone who is suspected of terrorism is kept under observation. The list is referred to the police and other law enforcers for effective monitoring. If a fourth scheduler wants to move somewhere, he/she has to inform their nearby police station. The list also includes people suspected of involvement in anti-state activities and delivering hate speeches.

    The meeting also decided to release 100 more activists of the proscribed organisation from different jails in the province, reported Geo News.

    Pic credits IANS

    Reshuffle likely in Lahore police

    A major reshuffle of police officers is likely in Lahore, the provincial capital of Pakistan, due to their failure to control protestors of the banned outfit Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), local media reported.

    The transfer of the “incompetent officers” and officials of Lahore, Sheikhupura and Gujranwala was discussed in the meeting between Pakistan’s Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and IG Punjab Rao Sardar Ali Khan on Wednesday, reported The News.

    Three officers were interviewed by the chief minister for the slot of CCPO Lahore.

    The decision has also been taken by the top officials of the Punjab government to remove RPO Sheikhupura and Gujranwala, The News reported.

    The removal of DIG Operations and SSP Operations is also underway, the newspaper reported citing sources.

    However, no issuance of notification pertaining to the transfer and posting has been done so far.

    Earlier, at least three Pakistani policemen were killed and several others suffered injuries in clashes with workers of the banned Islamist group and police personnel in Lahore when hundreds of TLP members had taken to the streets.

    However, after weeks of violent protests, the Pakistan government on Sunday announced that an agreement has been reached between the negotiating team and TLP, without sharing any details of the agreement. (ANI)

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  • Imran Draws Flak for surrendering to TLP

    Imran Draws Flak for surrendering to TLP

    The PPP leaders questioned the logic behind keeping the deal secret and stated that the people of Pakistan and their elected representatives had every right to know the details…reports Asian Lite News

    Terming the agreement between the Pakistan government and the proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) a “surrender by the state”, the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has asked the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to make the deal public and present it before Parliament, Dawn reported.

    The demand for making the government-TLP deal public came from three different PPP senators through their separate statements a day after the members of the negotiating team from the government side announced that they had reached an ‘agreement’ with the TLP in order to end the nearly two-week-long impasse, but refused to divulge its details.

    The PPP leaders questioned the logic behind keeping the deal secret and stated that the people of Pakistan and their elected representatives had every right to know the details and the contents of the agreement that had been signed in the darkness of night, the report said.

    Tahreek labbaik Pak.

    The announcement regarding the signing of the deal had been made by Mufti Munibur Rehman during a press conference with the members of the government team comprising Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Khan on Sunday.

    Refusing to share the contents of the deal, Mufti Munib had said that its details would be made public at an ‘appropriate time’ and added that its ‘positive results’ would be visible to the nation during the next 10 days.

    Besides Mufti Munib, head of the Saylani Welfare Trust Bashir Farooq Qadri, leading businessmen Aqeel Karim Dhedi and Haji Rafique Pardesi had reportedly been named as “guarantors” in the agreement.

    In a statement, PPP Senator Raza Rabbani said it was a matter of concern that the government or the state required individuals to act as guarantors of such an agreement.

    “When an individual acts as a guarantor between the government and citizens, it depicts that the government has lost the moral high grounds and the confidence of the people,” the Dawn report quoted Rabbani as saying.

    Pic credits IANS

    In a separate statement, PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said the government should inform parliament and the nation about the agreement signed in the darkness of night.

    “The citizens of this country have a right to know what has been agreed with a banned organisation that had paralysed the country, disrupted everyday life and business for 12 days and martyred innocent policemen,” he added.

    Similarly, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman in her statement said the act of keeping the agreement secret had created many questions in the mind of the people of Pakistan. She asked as to what was there in the agreement which the government wanted to disclose “at an appropriate time”.

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