Lahore, Pakistan: Areas around Data Darbar, Government College Lahore, and Urdu Bazaar are engulfed by thick layers of tear gas as protesters of TLP and Lahore Police are fiercely engaged with each other. Contradictory reports are coming as Police claim three policemen were crushed to death by TLP vehicles while TLP leadership claim several of its workers are wounded with gunshots.
TLP is protesting for the execution of a government-TLP contract and for the release of the son of the late Khadim Hussain Rizvi, who was arrested in April 2021 on charges of inciting his followers and party activists to take the law into their own hands.
TLP and the government had a contract that included the government’s promise to expel the French ambassador over the publication of blasphemous caricatures.
Detention was Rizvi to end on July 10 in light of a decision of the review board of the Supreme Court. However, the office of the deputy commissioner Lahore issued a fresh notification extending the detention for another three months under Section 11-EEE (powers to arrest and detain suspected persons) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
On August 2, Rizvi, filed another petition with the High Court, claiming the government extended his detention with “mala fide intention”. On October 1, the court declared his detention as illegal. Following the court order, the Lahore Deputy Commissioner, issued orders for his release. However, before the orders could be complied with, the Punjab government on October 11 challenged the Lahore High Court order in the Supreme Court.
