ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday paid special tribute tocountry’s police force for their heroic stand against organised violencecaused by the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) protests in thecountry.

The premier in a tweet said that the elements behind the violence wanted tocreate chaos in the country in order to blackmail the government in orderto get their demands approved.

“4 policemen were martyred & over 600 injured. Our nation is indebted tothese heroes & we will look after the families of the martyrs,” PM ImranKhan concluded.

The TLP supporters launched protests in various cities of the countryfollowing the arrest of their ameer Saad Hussain Rizvi earlier this week.

The protests caused massive traffic jams in the country but the traffic wasrestored on all national highways and motorways after police took action todisperse the demonstrators amid violence clashes.

On Thursday, the federal government formally declared Tehreek-e-LabbaikPakistan (TLP) as a proscribed organization and placed the banned party inthe First Schedule under Section 11 B (1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

According to a notification issued by the Interior Ministry, the federalgovernment has various reasons to believe that TLP is engaged in terrorism,acted in manner prejudicial to the peace and security of the country,involved in creating anarchy in the country by intimidating the public.

It further states that the TLP activists caused grievous bodily harm, hurtand death to the personnel of law enforcement agencies and innocentby-standers, attacked civilians and officials, created wide-scale hurdles,threatened, abused and promoted hatred, vandalized and ransacked public andgovernment properties, including vehicles.

Besides, it caused arson, blocked essential health supplies to hospitals,threatened the government, and created sense of fear and insecurity in thesociety and the public at large.