ISLAMABAD — The Ministry of Interior has formally issued a notification declaring Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) a proscribed organisation under Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. The decision follows the approval of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s federal cabinet, which endorsed the Punjab government’s recommendation to impose the ban due to the group’s alleged involvement in terrorism and violent activities across the country.

According to the notification, TLP has been added to the First Schedule of proscribed organisations under Section 11B(1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, effectively classifying it as a terrorist outfit. The Ministry stated that the federal government “believes the banned organisation is involved in terrorism,” citing intelligence reports and evidence of the group’s links to violent extremism.

Action and Implementation

Following the notification, TLP’s bank accounts will be frozen, its political and social activities suspended, and public mention or promotion of the group’s name prohibited. Copies of the notification have been sent to all provincial governors, chief secretaries, inspector generals of police, and intelligence agencies, including NACTA, FIA, ISI, and Military Intelligence, directing them to take immediate enforcement action.

The Interior Ministry has also dispatched a copy of the notification to the party’s chief. A reference is being prepared for submission to the Supreme Court for final legal ratification of the ban. The Ministry of Law and the Election Commission of Pakistan have received the final report to initiate formal proceedings against the proscribed organisation.

Cabinet Decision

The federal cabinet’s decision to proscribe TLP was made during a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on 23 October 2025, where senior Punjab government officials participated via video link. The Punjab government presented a detailed briefing on TLP’s history of violent protests and breaches of prior agreements with the state, including its failure to uphold guarantees given in 2021.

According to the official summary, the group has “incited unrest and spread chaos across the country since its formation in 2016.” Cabinet members were informed that several security personnel and innocent bystanders had lost their lives in violent demonstrations organised by TLP in the past.

Background and Rationale

The federal government stated that the decision was based on clear evidence of the group’s involvement in terrorism and its alleged links with extremist outfits. Sources confirmed that the Ministry of Interior had been directed by the cabinet to complete the legal process and forward the reference to the Supreme Court for final approval — a directive that has now been fulfilled with the issuance of the official notification.

By including TLP in the First Schedule of proscribed organisations under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, the government has effectively barred it from operating under any political, social, or religious platform, signalling a decisive shift in Islamabad’s counter-extremism policy.