Pakistan govt needs to stand with either law enforcers or TLP: Punjab Police

Dawn quoted police sources as saying their personnel sacrificed lives and were wounded while performing duties during violent protests by the TLP, but each time the government reconciled with the group, disregarding how police have been attacked and injured with petrol bombs, clubs and bricks, their vehicles set on fire, weapons and other gear snatched.

Earlier, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid had announced the government's decision to release “350 TLP workers up to now and we are still waiting to open both sides of road of Muridke as per the decision with the TLP”.

He also promised to review the the Fourth Schedule list having names of the TLP leaders and workers.

While blaming the government, a deputy inspector general-rank officer said, “The government would have to stand with either the law enforcers or the TLP.

"Its decision to release hundreds of TLP men under an immediate agreement has ignored the sacrifices policemen rendered and lives they lost during violent agitation of the organisation."
According to Dawn, the police has registered 40 cases against top leaders, 5,000 Fourth Schedulers and hardcore activists of the TLP under terrorism and multiple other charges since Sunday.

The entire second and third tier leadership of TLP and all members of its Majalis-i-Shura were booked in FIRs in Lahore, Sheikhupura and Gujranwala districts.

The TLP leaders had begun their protest last week demanding release of their leader Saad Hussain Rizvi, a son of its late founder Khadim Rizvi, and expulsion of French envoy.

Rizvi was arrested in April after he had threatened a long march to Islamabad if the French ambassador was not deported, The Express Tribune reported.

On Sunday, the Lahore police registered a case against 23 officer-bearers and 200 other activists of the TLP on different charges including terrorism, attacking a police check-post and snatching weapons and mobile phones.

On October 23, the TLP protesters had bulldozed all security layers of the Lahore and Sheikhupura police and entered Gujranwala.

A day earlier, three police officers were killed and several more injured in clashes with protesters in the northeastern Pakistani city of Lahore.

The protesters had thrown stones and Molotov cocktails at policemen and even used sticks during scuffles with police personnel.

(With UNI inputs)