Tehreek-e-Labbaik march toward Islamabad amid security measures

Several thousand members of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan began marching toward Islamabad on Saturday after violent clashes with police in Lahore that followed a raid on the party’s local headquarters and the arrest of senior activists. Authorities in the capital and surrounding Rawalpindi moved to block access to the city, suspended mobile internet services and deployed barriers to prevent protesters from reaching the Red Zone, which houses diplomatic missions and government offices.

The unrest began on Thursday in Lahore when police moved to seal the party’s headquarters and detain leaders, including the arrest of senior figure Naeem Chatha, according to statements and eyewitnesses. Clashes escalated on Friday as police used baton charges and tear gas against demonstrators who threw stones and erected barricades. Officials have not released an official casualty tally. A senior police official said up to 50 officers were injured in the confrontations, while the party said some of its members were killed; those claims have not been independently verified.

The mobilisation followed a call by the party for supporters to march on the capital after Friday prayers to protest a...