ISLAMABAD — The proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) on Monday filed a review petition challenging the federal government’s recent decision to place the party back on the list of banned organisations under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997.
The petition contests the Oct 24 notification issued by the interior ministry, which added the TLP to the First Schedule of proscribed organisations after the Punjab government recommended the move and the federal cabinet approved it.
Under the ATA, a banned entity may file an appeal to a review committee within 30 days. The TLP submitted its petition before the deadline, asserting that the government’s latest decision contradicts earlier administrative actions and legal commitments.
According to the petition, SRO No. 2011(I)/2025 was issued “without due consideration” of the party’s previous legal status. The application includes several supporting documents: the 2021 notification that first placed the TLP on the proscribed list, the Election Commission of Pakistan’s subsequent decision restoring it as a political party, the federal government’s later notification removing the group from the First Schedule, and an agreement allegedly signed between the government and the party.
Since the party under the regulations has the right to appeal to a review committee comprising interior and law ministry officers within 30 days, the TLP moved the appeal before the expiry of the deadline.https://t.co/TZpfd2j5PM
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) November 18, 2025
Advocates Burhan Moazzam Malik and Sajjad Akbar Abbasi, representing the TLP, argued that the new proscription order disregards established procedures and contradicts earlier commitments made by the state. They contended that such actions raise questions over consistency in the government’s legal approach toward the party.
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The interior ministry is now required to examine the review petition along with the attached documents before issuing a decision. It may uphold, amend or withdraw the Oct 24 notification, depending on its findings.
If the ministry rejects the petition, the TLP retains the option to challenge the decision before the Supreme Court.
The latest development marks yet another chapter in the government’s fluctuating stance toward the group, which has faced repeated bans in recent years amid accusations of violent protests and disruptions.
