ISLAMABAD – Banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) submitted review petition against federal government’s notification that placed the party on the Schedule One list under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997.
The notification came a day after the federal cabinet approved the Punjab government’s recommendation to proscribe the party.
Saad Rizvi led party had right to appeal the ban within a month before review committee comprising officials from the Ministry of Interior and the Law Division. Acting within the legal timeframe, the party filed its petition, raising questions about the government’s adherence to proper legal procedures.
The petition contends that S.R.O. No. 2011(I)/2025 was issued without proper consideration of prior administrative and legal actions already taken regarding TLP. Attached documents include the 2021 notification banning the party, the Election Commission’s restoration of TLP as a political entity, the subsequent notification removing it from the banned list, and the agreement signed between TLP and the federal government.
TLP legal eagles Burhan Muzammil Malik and Sajjad Akbar Abbasi said the Interior Ministry’s recent action contradicts earlier government assurances and established legal procedures, highlighting the tension between administrative orders and legal rights.
The petitioners expect Ministry of Interior to review the petition and the supporting documents carefully, and decide whether to uphold, amend, or revoke the October notification. In the event the petition is dismissed, TLP will retain the right to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court.
This development marks high-stakes legal confrontation between the federal government and a banned political-religious party, drawing national attention to the interplay of politics, law, and security in Pakistan.
