MURIDKE — Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protesters, who had been camped in Muridke after authorities blocked their route to Islamabad, were dispersed on Monday following a violent clash with law enforcement agencies, police confirmed.
Punjab police spokesperson Mubashir Hussain said the confrontation resulted in the martyrdom of a police Station House Officer (SHO) and the deaths of three TLP members. A passerby also lost his life, while 48 law enforcement personnel were injured — 17 of them by gunfire — and eight civilians were hurt.
According to police, the violence erupted when officers moved to clear the protest site. The protesters allegedly attacked with stones, nail-studded batons, and petrol bombs before opening fire. Law enforcement, Hussain said, had to take “limited action in defence.” He added that around 40 government and private vehicles were torched, and several protesters were arrested.
Videos circulating online showed scenes of chaos, burning vehicles, and heavy smoke in Muridke.
پنجاب پولیس کا ایک اور بہادر جوان فرض کی راہ پر قربان..
ایس ایچ او فیکٹری ایریا شیخوپورہ شہزاد نواز نے امن و امان کے قیام، شہریوں کی جان و مال کی حفاظت کے دوران، ملک کی خاطر جان کا نذرانہ پیش کر دیا، مسلح جتھوں کی فائرنگ سے جام شہادت نوش کر گئے۔ آئی جی پنجاب ڈاکٹر عثمان انور کا… pic.twitter.com/m1TeJ3yDpF— Punjab Police Official (@OfficialDPRPP) October 13, 2025
The TLP had launched its march from Lahore on Friday to demonstrate solidarity with Gaza and Palestine outside the US embassy in Islamabad. Authorities dug trenches and deployed Rangers and police contingents to stop their advance.
Following the clashes, roads and motorways around Lahore and Islamabad — which had started reopening on Sunday — were closed again, sparking panic among commuters. Some schools in Islamabad also closed early, citing “law and order concerns.”
Mobile internet remained functional in Islamabad, though users in Rawalpindi reported slow speeds and brief disruptions.