Countrywide protests erupted on Monday after Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan claimed its leader, Saad Hussain Rizvi, was shot and injured.
The announcement triggered immediate demonstrations across major cities, with protesters blocking key routes and burning tires.
Saad Rizvi is the son of the late Khadim Hussain Rizvi, the founding leader of TLP. He is 31 years old. He took over the party in 2020 after his father’s death. He is responsible for educating the TLP supporters on how to use social media to amplify their cause.
The TLP’s main agenda has been to target Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code concerning the country’s blasphemy laws. The party was formally proscribed or banned in 2021.
Saad was detained for seven months for violence in 2021. A deal between the TLP and the government was struck, leading to the release of over 200 TLP workers.
The party has repeatedly organised street protests across Pakistan. Saad stood for the elections in 2024 but lost to a PTI candidate in Attock.
Major roads have become impassable as enraged Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) supporters blocked main roads and claimed their leader, Saad Rizvi, had been shot. The situation remains tense with protests spreading to multiple cities.
Mobile services may face suspension in several locations.
Educational institutions, including schools and universities, have been closed indefinitely due to security concerns as the protest situation continues to escalate.
In Karachi, supporters of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan staged protests at multiple locations across Karachi on Monday, disrupting traffic and causing inconvenience to commuters.
Read: Schools reopen in Rawalpindi after days of disruption
Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) workers gathered at Nala Stop and North Karachi’s 4K Chowrangi, where they blocked roads and pelted stones, damaging several vehicles.
The demonstrations brought traffic to a standstill, leaving motorists stranded for hours.
Police were deployed to the affected areas to restore order and disperse the protesters.
In Lahore, at least four people were killed and 56 others injured, including police and civilians, during violent clashes in Muridke on Monday amid Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) long march.
According to security officials, 48 police and Rangers personnel were wounded — 17 of them by gunfire — while three TLP supporters and one passer-by were killed. Eight civilians also sustained injuries.
Police said the operation to disperse TLP supporters was launched after violent clashes erupted during the march. Protesters set fire to around 40 government and private vehicles, causing extensive damage. Security forces later regained full control of the Grand Trunk (GT) Road and dispersed the crowd. Several individuals were taken into custody during the operation.
Those injured and affected by tear gas were shifted to nearby hospitals, while authorities temporarily restricted public movement along the GT Road. Police also took custody of the bodies of the deceased and the injured personnel.
Meanwhile, in Rawalpindi, normalcy returned after days of unrest. All public and private educational institutions reopened following a three-day closure, with attendance reported as normal amid tight security. The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education also resumed supplementary matriculation examinations as scheduled.
Read more: TLP protest disrupts traffic, damages vehicles in Karachi
Traffic across Rawalpindi remained largely smooth, though diversions near Faizabad Interchange were maintained. Commuter movement along Murree Road, Mall Road, and Peshawar Road continued without major disruption, and all entry and exit routes to the city remained open.
