Punjab Minister Says Dozens Of Bank Accounts Frozen, Interior Minister Naqvi Meets Scholars In Karachi
Police, TLP workers clash paralyzes life in Lahore on Friday. Screenshot from Express recordings
LAHORE/KARACHI:
The Punjab government on Tuesday intensified its crackdown on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and its supporters, freezing dozens of bank accounts, seizing properties and placing hundreds of mosques and seminaries under government control.
At the same time, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi assured in Karachi that federal action will only be taken against those who are armed, not against any particular religious group. He said the government would not interfere in the affairs of mosques or seminaries.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari, addressing a press conference in Lahore, said 95 bank accounts linked to TLP chief Saad Rizvi had been frozen, while 3,800 more national and international accounts used to finance the group were under investigation.
“Those who fund TLP will be charged with terrorism,” she warned, adding that the Punjab government had approved a summary seeking a ban on the group, which is now with the federal government for final action expected within days.
The minister said well-educated people had been found supporting the group’s activities and that the government will not tolerate “anyone who uses religion to fuel unrest.”
She revealed that authorities had found 1.92 kg of gold, 898 grams of silver, 69 branded watches and cash worth over Rs 144 million during a raid at Rizvi’s residence. Police also found foreign currency, including Indian rupees, Saudi riyals and UAE dirhams, along with jewelery worth Rs 63 million.
Confirming that no order had been issued to move TLP founder Khadim Hussain Rizvi’s grave, Bokhari called such rumors on social media “false and politically motivated.” However, she warned that no one would be allowed to use the grave as a rallying point for fundraising or incitement.
She added that 130 mosques previously under TLP influence had been taken into state custody and 223 madaris Pakinomist-tagged. “These mosques will remain open for prayers, but no political activity or provocative speeches will be tolerated,” she said. Six of the seminaries, she noted, had been built on state-owned land and will be handed over to moderate Sunni scholars.
The minister condemned TLP’s recent ‘Gaza march’ which defied Section 144 and led to violent clashes in Muridke, leaving one police officer martyred, three protesters dead and dozens injured. “It is tragic that riots are justified in the name of Islam and Palestine,” Bokhari said. “This is manipulation.”
In Karachi, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi reiterated that the federal government was not targeting any specific organization. “Action will be taken against anyone who is armed, not against any particular group,” he said at a joint press conference with Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori and MQM-Pakistan Chairman Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.
Naqvi stressed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir were working hard to restore peace and stability. “We are getting results – what we need most now is unity,” he noted.
Governor Tessori said Naqvi was actively engaged in securing peace and overseeing the operation against Fitna al-Khawarij (evil of the Kharijites). He added that both Karachi and Hyderabad’s issues were discussed and described the minister’s cooperation as “exemplary”.
The minister later met with Mufti Muneebur Rehman and other Sunni scholars and assured them that the government would not interfere in religious institutions. He promised transparency in investigations related to the Muridke incident and said details of victims and affected families would be shared.
In a statement, Mufti Abdul Razzaq Naqshbandi, spokesman for Mufti Muneebur Rehman, said both sides discussed the Muridke incident and its aftermath. “Ulema presented their position on several issues and the minister promised resolution of all issues. It was agreed that a detailed session would be held in Islamabad to address legitimate concerns,” he said.
Bokhari, meanwhile, warned that those who incite violence online through platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook will be charged with terrorism, adding that offenders would be denied access to universities, visas and other government facilities. “We don’t want pressure groups to emerge in Pakistan,” she said. “Anyone who conspires against peace and stability will face the full force of the law.”
She concluded by appealing to parents to guide their children away from radical elements. “Your children were not born to be anyone’s cannon fodder,” she said.
