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Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, remains tense after security personnel clashed with members of far-right outfit, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan's (TLP), after they attempted to march to the US Embassy. Containers and barricades have been put up, and the internet has been shut. The violence in the march for Palestine, which will continue on Friday, left two dead and dozens injured.
Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, had called for a protest march to Islamabad to express solidarity with Palestinians. (Image/Reuters/File)
New Delhi,UPDATED: Oct 10, 2025 12:34 IST
Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, teetered on the brink of chaos on Friday. Security forces have barricaded major roads leading to the capital with shipping containers and mobile internet has been suspended. On Thursday, lakhs of members of the far-right group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) attempted to march to the US Embassy in Islamabad in protest of the Gaza killings. The march was blocked by police personnel in Lahore, leading to violent clashes with TLP men, leaving dozens injured and two protesters dead.
Following the crackdown, the TLP has announced its "Final Call" march to Islamabad, as lakhs of protestors camped on the outskirts of Islamabad towards the American mission. Islamabad's Red Zone has been turned into a fortress and several hotels have been evacuated.
The security measures in Islamabad follow violent clashes in Lahore, during which the TLP claimed that at least two of its members were killed. However, police sources said only one had died, Karachi-based Dawn reported.
Additionally, dozens were left injured, which included more than a dozen police officers. Several vehicles and properties were also damaged by the TLP protestors in their pursuit of "justice for Gaza".
After clashes with Lahore police, the TLP called on its supporters to converge in Lahore for a "final call" on Friday, the Dawn reported.
The far-right TLP, a political wing of the religiopolitical group Tehreek-e-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYR), has called the march to express solidarity with Palestinians.
The planned destination was the US Embassy in the Red Zone of Islamabad. It is a high-profile locale housing diplomatic missions and key government institutions. In anticipation, authorities sealed the Red Zone and placed containers at entry points of the city, according to news agency PTI.
In an effort to disrupt the group's communication, Islamabad's Ministry of Interior directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to suspend mobile internet services in the twin-cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Sources told Geo TV that Islamabad's main interchange, Faizabad, a known TLP protest site, has also been barricaded, while hotels along Murree Road were ordered to be vacated.
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Published By:
Gaurav Kumar
Published On:
Oct 10, 2025
