LAHORE: At least two people are in custody and around 1,500 have been booked after the government swung into action against members of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) for inciting violence against the country’s top judge, as more instances of hate speech by members of the party surfaced.

On Monday, police took two men into custody for inciting people to violence against Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa.

Okara police said TLP leader Saqib Ibrahim, who had made inciting remarks against the top judge — invoking the 2011 assassination of Salmaan Taseer at the hands of his own security guard — at what they called an “illegal public meeting” in the district.

This happened hours before the party’s deputy emir Pir Zaheerul Hassan Shah issued a disturbing call for violence on the stage during a public gathering at the Lahore Press Club, in the presence of TLP chief Saad Rizvi.

Another accused, Tauqeer Nasir, who was present on the stage in Okara when Ibrahim made the offending remarks, was also arrested on Monday morning, police said. However, while some media reports claimed that the TLP naib emir was also in custody, top police officials denied this, saying he was on the run and that raids were being carried out to find him.

In Lahore, Qila Gujjar Singh police registered a case against TLP vice emir Shah and 1,500 other TLP leaders and workers under various sections, including the anti-terror law and other heinous offences.

They were accused of spreading hatred against the judiciary, the establishment, state organiations and the government. In Okara, A-Division police registered another case under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and nine other heinous offences/charges against around 90 TLP leaders and workers, for indulging in hate speech against the chief justice during an illegal public meeting.

They were accused of inciting religious hatred, causing public disorder, intimidating the judiciary, threatening the judiciary, interfering in official duties, and obstructing legal functions.

The FIR stated that Farzand Naseem, a TLP ticket holder from Okara, endorsed the statement issued by Shah, and even tried to one-up the vice emir’s offer.

Separate FIRs were also registered in Faisalabad and Sheikhupura against hundreds of TLP members in connection with the same charges.

Sources say Punjab police high ups have put the police force on an high alert to thwart any unlawful or violent agitation of the TLP men or workers all over the province during the raids carried out for the arrests of the accused persons belonged to the party who delivered hate speeches and threatened the CJP.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2024