Karachi police on Saturday registered a case against 39 held workers of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) under terror and other charges for allegedly clashing with law enforcement agencies while holding protest demonstrations a day earlier.

The demonstrations were held against the Supreme Court's recent decision to dismiss a review petition and uphold the acquittal of Aasia Bibi — a Christian woman who spent eight years wrongfully accused on death row in a blasphemy case.

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“New Town police have registered a first information report (FIR) against 39 leaders and workers of TLP under Section 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act, 1997,” DIG East Amir Farooqi told Dawn.

Activists of the religo-political party were arrested Friday afternoon after they allegedly damaged public and private property, DIG Farooqi added.

Police on Friday had claimed to have made at least 50 arrests. However, DIG Farooqi said that those below 18 years of age were released as per the law, as they could not have been booked under terror charges.

Meanwhile, TLP officials claimed that the party had planned a "peaceful" protest march from Bahadurabad to Karachi Press Club but that when their workers exited mosques after Friday prayers, the police subjected them to "executive highhandedness" to foil their protest.

"However, hundreds of workers reached the press club and held a peaceful demonstration," they added.

The case against TLP workers has been registered on behalf of the state, with police officer Mohammed Mithal of New Town police serving as the complainant.

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The police have also invoked Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object, 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 337-A (i) (punishment of shajjah) of the Pakistan Penal Code against the held workers.

According to the FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn, around 300-350 workers of the TLP came out from Bahar-i-Shariat mosque located on Alamgir Road in Bahadurabad soon after Friday prayers and started protesting at Sharafabad traffic signal.

“They blocked the main road and tried to damage private and public vehicles,” the FIR states.

On-duty police officers, the FIR adds, tried to prevent the angry mob from causing property damage but they did not desist from doing so.

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“The angry mob attacked the police party by impeding them from performing their duty and pelted stones on the policemen,” according to the FIR.

The policemen retreated to save themselves but the angry mob still attacked the official automobile of the Tipu Sultan SHO with sticks and stones, resulting in significant damage to the vehicle.

The protesters also allegedly attacked two policemen, Mohammed Amjad and Asif, with sticks and injured them.

In response to the violence, the police resorted to baton charges and tear gas shelling, and eventually made the aforementioned arrests.