LAHORE: Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry of the Lahore High Court on Thursday overruled office objections to three separate petitions of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) seeking return of bodies of its workers allegedly killed during a law-enforcement operation in Muridke and medical treatment for those injured.

Justice Chaudhry heard the petitions as “objection case” as the registrar office objected that the petitioner did not provide an authority letter from the party and Rangers had been arrayed as one of the respondents.

During the proceedings, the petitioner’s counsel submitted the required authorisation letter while the other objection was overruled by the court.

Following the court’s directions, the office allocated fresh numbers to the petitions and fixed them for hearing before Justice Chaudhry on Friday (today).

Office objections overruled; 11 TLP workers on eight-day physical remand

The petitions contend that the government carried out an operation against the party’s workers who were staging a peaceful march in Muridke.

The party claims that over 600 of its workers had been killed in the operation while its Emir Saad Rizvi and his younger brother also sustained bullet injuries.

It alleges that both Saad and his brother Ans Rizvi, among others, have been abducted by the law-enforcement agencies.

The party further alleges that the authorities refused to hand over the bodies of the victims to their families.

It asks the court to direct the government and police authorities to return the deceased workers’ bodies and ensure that the injured are provided medical treatment at government hospitals.

The pleas seek directions for the authorities to produce the party’s Emir Saad Rizvi and other detained leaders before the relevant court.

The party also seeks possession of its headquarters on Multan Road allegedly taken over by the law-enforcement authorities.

REMAND: An anti-terrorism court on Thursday handed over 11 workers of TLP to police on a eight-day physical remand in a case of violence and attack on police personnel.

The police produced the arrested workers before the duty judge of the ATC, Irfan Haider, where the investigating officer sought their physical remand for interrogation.

The judge, after hearing the arguments, accepted the police request and granted an eight-day physical remand of the suspects.

The judge directed the police to produce the suspects on expiry of the remand along with a progress report of the investigation.

The TLP activists were charged with attacking police personnel and setting property on fire during violent protests. Chuhng police registered the case under terrorism charges.

SPECIAL PROSECUTORS: The Punjab government has appointed two senior lawyers as special prosecutors to pursue the criminal cases registered against the activities of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in Lahore and Sheikhupura.

A notification issued by the public prosecution department says, advocates Rana Shakeel Ahmad Khan and Chaudhry Khalid Rasheed have been appointed as special public prosecutors under section 18 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 in all cases registered against the TLP.

The notification states that the special prosecutors would coordinate with the investigating officers and the joint investigation teams for efficient investigation, proper preparation of case files and represent the state before the courts in all matters including remands, bails, trials and appeals.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2025