Taliban Bypasses Islamabad, Directly Reaches Out To TLP After Police Action In Pakistan’s Muridke

TLP party activists run as they escape police personnel during an anti-Israel protest in Muridke on October 13. (Image: Arif Ali/AFP)

After Pakistan rejected its government in Afghanistan, the Taliban has directly reached out to the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan over the Muridke “massacre”. This comes amid rising tensions between the two countries over border clashes.

News18 had first reported Pakistan’s refusal to recognise the Taliban government, which has now bypassed Islamabad and spoken directly to Pakistani citizens showing their intent to exploit domestic tensions by targeting the Barelvi support base of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), sources said.

According to top Indian intelligence sources, the Afghan Taliban has showed concern over the TLP protests in Pakistan, expressing condolences on the Muridke massacre in which the Pakistani military allegedly opened fire on religious party protesters.

The sources said an Afghan Taliban spokesperson condemned the Pakistan military and security forces, expressing that they were saddened by the tragic loss of innocent civilian lives. The Afghan Taliban urged Pakistan to cease violence against its citizens and resolve issues through dialogue.

Top Taliban sources condemned the Pakistani Army’s gunfire and violence on protesters, stressing on their role as protectors of Islamic rights and defenders of oppressed Muslims. They said the attacks on religious outfits undermine Pakistan’s religious legitimacy and its image among Islamic countries.

The TLP, meanwhile, has decided to delay protests until October 17, calling all workers to gather at Data Darbar in Lahore for future strategy. TLP Central Shura Member Wazir Rizvi said the government and the Punjab Police killed 35 to 40 TLP workers in a brutal crackdown.

Rizvi said TLP leadership was ready for talks, but the government opted for violence. He vowed to avenge the “martyrs” and announced that while protests will end for now, future strategies will be decided at Data Darbar in Lahore.

He pointed out that Pakistani security forces had fired bullets on protesters from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Islamabad, on Balochis in Balochistan, on Pakhtuns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Kashmiris in Kashmir, and now on TLP workers in Muridke. He added that no one is safe from the bullets of their own institution, and that the TLP will decide on their further action plan soon.

Intelligence sources indicated that the protest was not delayed or postponed but ended due to police brutality, resulting in the deaths of protesters. The TLP claimed that 35 to 40 of their cadre were killed by the police. There is concern that fresh mobilisation at Data Darbar, a religious site, will create local security vacuums, leading to further attacks by Punjab Rangers and other security forces, the sources said.

Pakistan faces widespread uncertainty with protests in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), Balochistan, Afghanistan, and Lahore, highlighting the rejection of leaders and the country’s challenges, including the Taliban’s refusal to grant a visa to Pakistan’s foreign minister.