LAHORE – The Punjab cabinet on Wednesday officially ratified the ban on the proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz presided over the meeting, approving the ratification following federal government action last month.
The TLP was proscribed after violent clashes in Muridke left eight people, including a policeman, dead and over 1,600 injured. The Punjab government also transferred administrative control of mosques and seminaries previously run by the TLP to a group of moderate clerics. Additionally, the cabinet expanded the Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) to previously excluded areas in Tehsil Koh-e-Sulaiman and District Rajanpur.
Read More: TLP leadership from central Punjab, Lahore severs ties with banned party
Beyond security measures, the cabinet approved a wide range of development and governance projects. These include the School Teachers Intern programme, the Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Ordinance 2025, subsidies under the High-Tech Farm Mechanization Finance Programme, and the launch of the sugarcane crushing season by November 15. MoUs were approved for the Lahore-Rawalpindi High-Speed Rail, agricultural cooperation with Egypt, and establishment of Air Punjab Private Limited.
Infrastructure and public services initiatives were also greenlit, including the restoration of Lahore Museum, construction of a museum and memorial in National Bank Park, electric bus depots, and the foundation of the Gujranwala Mass Transit Authority. Health sector projects included approval for staffing cardiac cath labs in district hospitals. Administrative approvals were granted for leadership roles in the Punjab Land Development Company, Punjab Mineral Company, and Punjab Central Business District Development Authority, alongside relaxations on recruitment bans for several provincial departments.
Read More: Punjab cabinet officially ratifies ban on proscribed TLP
The cabinet also approved implementation of the Prime Minister’s Cashless Strategy, the traffic fines and points system, and various other development projects aimed at boosting governance, infrastructure, and public welfare across Punjab.