At least five people, including a police officer, three Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) workers, and a passerby, were killed as law enforcement agencies carried out a major pre-dawn operation in Muridke  to disperse what officials described as "armed and violent mobs."The crackdown came amid a multi-day protest march by the TLP supporters moving from Lahore toward Islamabad in what the group called a pro-Palestine demonstration. 

In a statement, the Punjab Police spokesperson said the operation began after TLP workers "attacked security personnel with stones, spiked sticks, and petrol bombs". The police later registered a case against the leadership and workers of the TLP at the City Muridke Police Station under terrorism and multiple other criminal charges. The protesters, he claimed, opened "indiscriminate fire" on law enforcers when they were ordered to disperse, prompting a "limited defensive response" from the forces. 

During the firing, one station house officer (SHO) was martyred, while 48 police and Rangers personnel sustained injuries, including 17 hit by gunfire. Three TLP protesters and one passerby also lost their lives, while eight civilians sustained injuries."Law enforcement agencies were compelled to act in self-defence. The operation was conducted to restore public safety and clear national highways," the statement said.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)