Pakistan: Islamists conflict with Police over Charlie Hebdo cartoon, kill 4 cops

At least 4 Pakistani policemen had been killed after Islamists from the group Tehrik-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) opened hearth on the cops in the course of the anti-blasphemy protests in Lahore. TLP is a banned Islamists outfit in Pakistan and has been protesting towards the Charlie Hebdo cartoon depicting Prophet Muhammad and have been demanding expulsion of France’s ambassador and launch of their chief.
The TLP protestors, armed with pistols and computerized weapons together with AK 47 rifles, on Wednesday blocked one of many busiest highways and opened hearth. As per police, no less than 4 law enforcement officials had been killed and 263 had been wounded. TLP spokesperson has claimed that a number of of their members had been additionally killed and wounded within the violent clashes.
Last week additionally the Islamist group had clashed with police the place 3 different cops had been killed. Pakistan’s Interior Ministry has ordered paramilitary Rangers to be deployed beneath anti-terrorism legal guidelines. TLP protestors had been additionally carrying golf equipment to assault the police deployed to comprise the violence.
This is TLP’s third countrywide protest towards the Charlie Hebdo cartoons since 2017. The cartoons had been first printed by the French satirical journal in 2006 and republished them final 12 months to mark the start of the path within the 2015 suicide assault on its workplace.
In April, too, this 12 months, Pakistan had reached the brink of a civil conflict after Imran Khan authorities didn’t comprise the riots led by TLP. Many police officers had additionally reportedly joined the rioters to protest towards Charlie Hebdo cartoons.