The Punjab government has appointed special public prosecutors to represent the state in terrorism cases registered against the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in the districts of Lahore and Sheikhupura, it emerged on Thursday.
The development comes after law enforcement agencies launched a sweeping pre-dawn operation on Monday to dismantle the religio-political party’s protest camp in Muridke, triggering violent clashes, widespread chaos and a series of arrests.
As per the official figures, as many as 2,716 people have been arrested after the Muridke operation. Out of these, some 251 were taken into custody by Lahore police and 178 by Sheikhpura police. The government has also barred around 2,800 people from travelling abroad, according to Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry.
According to an order issued by the Punjab government’s public prosecution department yesterday, seen by media.com, Advocate Supreme Court Rana Shakeel Ahmed Khan and Advocate High Court Chaudhry Khalid Rasheed have been appointed as special prosecutors for all cases registered against the TLP “within the jurisdiction of Lahore and Sheikhupura districts/region”.
The appointments — notified following a letter by the Lahore deputy inspector general (DIG) legal for Punjab police chief Dr Usman Awan — were made under Section 18 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), which allows the government to appoint public prosecutors or law officers to Anti-Terrorism Courts (ATCs), a high court or the Supreme Court.
The special public prosecutors will coordinate with investigation officers, joint investigation teams for “efficient investigation, proper preparation of case files and represent the state before trial courts in all matters including remands, bails and trials etc; and Honorable Lahore High Court, Lahore (Principle Seat) in all matters, including bails, appeals, revisions, petitions for suspension of sentence, writs and other miscellaneous applications”.
Terms and conditions will be issued separately, the order stated.
Even as police intensify their crackdown on the group following the events that transpired in Muridke, the authorities have decided to take a series of measures to “neutralise” the threat the TLP has posed to the law enforcers and non-Muslim communities since its inception.
The decision to put the radical outfit on a leash is being linked to some crucial meetings, where the TLP’s tainted record of violent agitations, fatal attacks on the law enforcers, as well as ransacking of Christian and Ahmadiyya places of worship came under discussion.
Meanwhile, the number of cases registered against the outfit has reached 72, with at least 39 registered in Lahore, amid arrests of second- and third-tier leaders of the TLP.
As the whereabouts of TLP chief Saad Rizvi remain unknown, Lahore DIG Faisal Kamran said Rizvi had escaped during the police operation. He added that the police have managed to trace his location and he would be arrested soon.
It may be noted that a money laundering probe has also been initiated against Rizvi after law enforcers recovered huge sums of money during a raid at his residence in Lahore. The total currency allegedly recovered from the residence amounted to Rs110 million, including 50,000 Indian rupees.
Chaudhry, the minister of state for interior, has said action against the TLP protesters will be taken in a manner similar to that of those involved in the May 9, 2023 riots, which led to a country-wide crackdown on the PTI.
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