Violence erupted in Pakistani town of Muridke on Monday during a Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) long march, leaving four people dead, including a senior police officer, and 56 others injured.
The clashes triggered widespread disruptions across Punjab and Islamabad, affecting courts, transport, and education.
According to reports, Factory Area Station House Officer (SHO) Shehzad Nawaz was shot and killed by protesters. The violence began when TLP supporters, advancing along the Grand Trunk (GT) Road, reportedly attacked security forces with stones, spiked sticks, petrol bombs, and firearms. In response, police and Rangers launched a limited operation to disperse the crowd and restore order.
Authorities confirmed that 48 law enforcement personnel were injured—17 by gunfire—while three TLP supporters and one civilian passerby were killed. Eight additional civilians sustained injuries. Protesters torched approximately 40 government and private vehicles, causing extensive damage. Dozens were taken into custody, and the injured—including those affected by tear gas—were rushed to nearby hospitals.
The GT Road was temporarily sealed to public movement as security forces regained full control of the area. The body of SHO Nawaz was handed over to police, while wounded personnel received medical attention.
In Lahore, TLP-affiliated lawyers staged a demonstration outside Aiwan-e-Adal (Hall of Justice), condemning the Muridke operation. The protest blocked traffic from the Civil Secretariat to PMG Chowk, with demonstrators chanting anti-government slogans.
Tensions escalated when some lawyers allegedly assaulted police officers, hurling abuses and slapping them. In solidarity, the Lahore Bar Association announced a strike in lower courts, urging lawyers to withdraw from proceedings after 11 a.m.
The bar demanded the immediate release of detained TLP workers, proper medical care for the injured, and legal action against those who opened fire on protesters, calling the Muridke operation “excessive and unjustified.”
The road blockades caused severe travel disruptions. With major highways and motorways closed, thousands of passengers diverted to railways for intercity travel between Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Gujrat, and Sialkot.
Trains became dangerously overcrowded, with elderly passengers, women, and children forced to stand for hours clutching luggage. Railway authorities deployed additional coaches but struggled to manage the surge.
In Rawalpindi, all educational institutions reopened after a three-day closure, with normal attendance reported under heightened security. The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education resumed supplementary matriculation exams as scheduled.
Traffic flowed smoothly on Murree Road, Mall Road, and Peshawar Road, though diversions remained near Faizabad Interchange. All city entry and exit points stayed open.
Meanwhile, in Islamabad, court proceedings at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) were effectively suspended due to road closures blocking access to the capital. A division bench comprising Justices Babar Sattar and Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan had its entire cause list cancelled.
The IHC Bar Association issued a statement noting that all entry routes to Islamabad were obstructed, preventing lawyers from attending hearings. Acting Secretary Imran Ashfaq appealed to judges not to issue adverse orders in cases where legal representatives were unable to appear due to circumstances beyond their control.
Following the Muridke incident, security has been significantly reinforced in both Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Police are on high alert, with personnel deployed at key intersections and checkpoints.
While Murree Road remains open, access points at Shamsabad and Faizabad remain closed. Several universities have abruptly announced holidays, cancelling evening classes and leaving students and parents scrambling.
The government faces mounting pressure to balance public order with civil liberties as tensions surrounding the TLP’s nationwide mobilisation continue to ripple across institutions and daily life.