Lahore (Staff Reporter)
Punjab Information and Broadcasting Minister Azma Bukhari has stated that Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) should not be considered a political party but rather a “mindset,” and that an effective struggle must be waged against it. Speaking on a private TV program, she said that despite previous bans and measures, the group has repeatedly re-emerged under different names and forms.
Minister Bukhari emphasized that TLP is neither a religious nor a political organization but operates like a project. “Whenever they take to the streets, they engage in violence and violate the law,” she said, noting that the group has a history of pressuring the state.
Referring to past experiences, she explained that when political parties were banned, they later resurfaced under new names or structures. She called for the management of TLP-run madrasas and mosques to be handed over to moderate Sunni groups, such as Ahl-e-Sunnat wal Jamaat, and stressed that such elements must be prevented from issuing fatwas promoting killings or terrorism in the name of religion.
Minister Bukhari further stated that the state had to make autonomous decisions in the past to handle such situations. She emphasized that implementing corrective measures and a clear policy against these disruptive groups now presents an opportunity to rectify past mistakes.