The Punjab government has formed 12 joint investigation teams (JITs) to conduct the probe in several cases against the proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), it emerged on Wednesday.
The development was notified by the provincial home department in similar notifications, of which 11 are dated November 6 and one was issued on October 31.
According to the notifications, seen by Dawn, the provincial government ordered the formation of five JITs under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 for as many cases registered against the TLP in the Sheikhupura district. Of these, four cases have been registered in the Muridke tehsil and one in Ferozewala tehsil.
Another seven JITs have been formed to carry out the investigation in as many cases registered in Lahore. Of these cases, three have been registered in the Nawankot area, three in Shahdara Town and one in the Ravi Road area.
Crackdown on TLP
In recent weeks, the Punjab government has intensified action against the TLP following a ban imposed on the party after a violent clash between TLP protesters and law enforcement personnel in Muridke last month.
Meanwhile, authorities continue to look for TLP Chief Saad Rizvi and his brother Anas Rizvi, whose disappearance has seemingly baffled the Punjab police and other law enforcement agencies.
The TLP chief and his brother were marked as high-profile targets by the Punjab police for being wanted in more than 100 first information reports lodged against them.
On October 29, the duo, including 21 other senior TLP leaders, were placed on the Provisional National Identification List (PNIL) to prevent them from travelling abroad.
According to a senior officer in the Central Police Office (CPO) Lahore, so far, Lahore police have reportedly arrested a total of the group’s 1,250 key members, including their financiers and the workers wanted in over 100 criminal cases.
The official said the provincial capital has been the hub of activities of the TLP’s top leadership and other workers for housing the headquarters of party.
So, the major focus of the police remained on arrests of the hardcore members of the TLP from Lahore.
A list of the targeted TLP members was prepared on the basis of the geofencing carried out in Lahore’s route that they had used to launch the march on Islamabad and in Muridke, where they had encountered the LEAs.
The second list provided to all the 85 police stations of Lahore was of the financiers, the police official said, adding that the crackdowns continued daily.
As per sources, the sufferings of the families of the ‘wanted’ TLP members have increased manifold due to the frequent police raids at their homes.
A majority of the families have locked their houses and gone into hiding to avoid a police crackdown.
On Tuesday, Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari detailed that assets worth Rs23.40 billion belonging to the TLP had been frozen, along with 92 bank accounts linked to the organisation.
