Azma Bukhari says govt has traced 3,800 additional national, international bank accounts allegedly used to fund TLP
Punjab’s Minister for Information, Azma Bukhari announced a sweeping crackdown on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan and its supporters, saying that individuals financing the group will face terrorism charges as government has frozen 91 bank accounts linked to party and its leader Saad Rizvi.
The move comes as the Punjab cabinet last week approved imposing a ban on TLP and forwarded a summary to the federal government for further action. A final decision is expected within days and it will be enforced in letter and spirit, the minister said.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Tuesday, Bukhari said, ‘well-educated and prominent figures’ are supporting the TLP.
Speaking about recent TLP protests, the minister accused the group of spreading propaganda regarding casualties. Referring to the violent incident in Muridke, she said, three civilians were killed and 45 others injured, while 110 police personnel also sustained injuries during the clashes.
Also Read: Field Marshal Munir vows to crush Indian proxies spreading violence in Balochistan
Bukhari disclosed, “Significant assets have been recovered from Saad Rizvi’s residence, including 1.92 kilograms of gold, 898 grams of silver, 69 branded watches, several ornaments, and 50,000 Indian rupees.” She expressed alarm at the scale of TLP’s finances and the involvement of educated individuals in what she described as ‘a threat to national peace’.
She specifically mentioned that the crackdown is targeting the group’s top leadership, financiers, and digital operatives, who are promoting the unrest. “The state is pursuing all three groups with full force,” she said.
The minister said that the Punjab government had taken control of 330 mosques previously associated with TLP. These mosques will remain open for regular prayers, but any political or provocative activity will be strictly prohibited. She reiterated zero tolerance for violations of the Loudspeaker Act, urging religious leaders to confine loudspeaker use solely to the call for prayer.
She confirmed that TLP founder Khadim Hussain Rizvi’s grave would not be relocated but warned that the government would not allow it to be used for fundraising or inciting public gatherings. “No one will be allowed to exploit the grave for provocative or financial purposes,” she asserted.
Bukhari further revealed that 223 madaris, linked to TLP, have been geo-tagged. Most will reopen soon, except for a few flagged by security agencies. These institutions will be handed over to moderate Sunni scholars, she added, noting that six of TLP seminaries were built on government-owned land.
Read: Afghan refugees: the human cost of Pakistan–Afghanistan tensions
Warning against online radicalisation, Bukhari urged parents to monitor their children’s activities. “Your children were not born to become someone’s cannon fodder,” she said, adding that many parents approach authorities after their children are arrested, unaware of their involvement in illegal activities and protests.
She cautioned that those using social media to incite violence on platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook would be charged under anti-terrorism laws. “These people will carry a criminal record. They won’t be eligible for university admissions, visas, or any state facility,” she warned.
Addressing rumors surrounding Saad Rizvi and his brother, the minister denied reports that they were injured or killed during the crackdown. “Both brothers are being traced. They are alive and will soon be brought to justice,” she confirmed.
