Chaos Erupts in Pro-Palestinian March in Pakistan: At Least 5 Dead and Injured in Clashes With Police

At least five people were killed and dozens injured in violent clashes between Pakistani police and supporters of the hardline Islamist group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) during a protest march against Israel and in solidarity with Palestinians, authorities said.

Recent reports say that 13 people were killed in the clashes and 150 people were injured.

The confrontation unfolded on Monday in the town of Muridke, near Lahore, as police attempted to disperse a crowd of thousands en route to the capital, Islamabad.The march, which began on Friday from Lahore, a distance of nearly 400 kilometers (248 miles) along the historic Grand Trunk Road, was organized by TLP in response to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza announced by President Donald Trump last week.

Protesters aimed to rally outside the U.S. embassy in Islamabad to express outrage over what they described as Israeli atrocities and to boycott Israeli products.

According to Punjab police, the operation to clear the protesters' camp in Muridke turned chaotic when TLP supporters allegedly opened fire, pelted stones, used spiked batons, petrol bombs, and set over 40 vehicles ablaze.

Security forces responded with tear gas, baton charges, and live ammunition, leading to clashes that lasted more than three hours.

Police reported one officer, three protesters, and one bystander killed, with dozens injured on both sides.

Scores of protesters were arrested, and routes to Islamabad, which had been blocked since the march began, were partially reopened afterward.

TLP, however, disputed the police account, claiming officers initiated the violence by firing indiscriminately on unarmed demonstrators.

The group's leader, Saad Hussain Rizvi, was critically injured, sustaining multiple bullet wounds during the melee.

TLP alleged a much higher toll, with over 250 workers killed and more than 1,500 injured across related incidents, though these figures could not be independently verified.

Other reports placed the death toll at 15 or more, including from earlier clashes in Lahore where protesters attacked police facilities and looted vehicles.

"Our march is against Israel's atrocities," Rizvi said in a news conference on Sunday, emphasizing the group's focus on Palestinian solidarity.

He accused authorities of using lethal weapons against peaceful protesters and vowed resilience, stating, "Arrest is not a problem, bullets are not a problem, shells are not a problem - martyrdom is our destiny."

Pakistan's government condemned the violence, with Minister Talal Chaudhry accusing TLP of exploiting the Gaza crisis for political gain and affirming that no organization would be allowed to coerce through force.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened a high-level meeting to address the security situation, while over 1,200 paramilitary personnel were deployed across Punjab.

Mobile data services were temporarily suspended in affected areas but partially restored as negotiations with TLP began.

The unrest highlights TLP's history of disruptive protests; the group was briefly banned in 2021 after similar clashes but later reinstated.

It comes amid broader regional tensions, as the Gaza ceasefire sees the release of remaining Israeli hostages.

Schools in Islamabad closed early due to safety concerns, and authorities detained around 170 TLP-linked individuals under public order laws.

Tensions remain high, with no immediate resolution in sight as the country grapples with the fallout.