The Punjab government has formally forwarded a summary recommending a ban on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and sent a memorandum to the federal government that includes evidence of the group’s violent actions and attacks on security agencies, Information Minister Azma Bukhari said.

At a press conference in Lahore on Friday, Azma Bukhari said religion cannot be used to impose one’s views and that the recent call for protests came after a ceasefire was reached in Gaza. She added that those who carry out violent protests cannot be sympathisers of the country or the nation.

Bukhari told reporters that the Punjab cabinet approved the decision to recommend a ban and that video footage and details of violent demonstrations on Multan Road, Lahore, and in Muridke have been sent to the federal government. The material, she said, shows attacks on law enforcement, damage to public property, and scenes of arson and vandalism.

She said 1,648 police personnel were injured during the violent protests and that a police inspector was killed after being shot 26 times. She warned that accepting the notion that a false allegation can justify killing someone is an extremely dangerous trend that must be stopped.

The minister also criticised profiteering by extremists, saying it is unacceptable for anyone to use religion to amass vast wealth and expensive goods while the state remains a silent spectator.