KARACHI, Pakistan 

Pakistan on Thursday banned a major religiopolitical party for its alleged involvement in "terrorism" and "violence," a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.

The federal Cabinet, which met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the capital Islamabad, approved a summary banning Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

The ban was imposed on the recommendation of the Punjab government after nearly 1,000 TLP members were arrested earlier this month following deadly protests across the province.

"Following the briefing (from law enforcement agencies) and recommendation from the Punjab government, the Cabinet has reached a consensus that the TLP is involved in terrorism and violent activities," the statement said.

The latest clashes erupted before dawn on October 14 after the government barred party activists from marching to the US Embassy in Islamabad to protest its support for Israel's genocidal attacks on Gaza.

The government claims that four people were killed, including a police officer, and dozens of security personnel were injured during the violent protests.

The government also said it has identified approximately 4,000 "financiers" of the party and will take legal action against them.

According to the country's constitution, the government will now submit a reference to the Supreme Court within the next 15 days to seek its approval. The party was also banned in 2021 by the government of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, but the ban was lifted six months later.

The TLP, founded in 2015, received significant votes in the 2018 and 2024 general elections, primarily from Punjab and the commercial capital Karachi.

It won two provincial assembly seats from Karachi in the 2018 election.