Subhechcha Ganguly 
Tensions flared in Pakistan ahead of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) planned ‘Labbaik Ya Aqsa Million March’, as violent clashes between party supporters and police in Lahore left dozens injured during an anti-Israel protest on Thursday.
Following the unrest, the government suspended mobile and internet services in Islamabad and Rawalpindi and sealed entry and exit routes to the capital. The move follows orders from the Ministry of Interior, which directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to cut connectivity from midnight Friday for an indefinite period. The decision, approved by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, comes amid heightened security concerns surrounding the TLP’s planned demonstration outside the U.S. embassy in Islamabad.
Police raided the TLP headquarters in Lahore in an attempt to arrest the party’s chief, Saad Hussain Rizvi, after the protest call.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has enforced Section 144 across the province for 10 days, prohibiting all kinds of protests, rallies, and public gatherings. According to a notification from the provincial home department, gatherings of more than four people in public spaces are banned, though exemptions have been made for prayers, weddings, funerals, offices, and court premises.
Additionally, a strict ban has been placed on the display of weapons and the use of loudspeakers throughout Punjab as authorities remain on high alert to prevent further escalation.
