FIA arrests TLP regional emir in terror financing case

LAHORE: In a major breakthrough, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested Syed Inayatul Haq Shah, the North Punjab emir of banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), on the multiple charges, including terror financing for the violent march of the party in October 2025.

The FIA has also obtained the nine-day remand of the accused.

A senior official told Dawn the suspect was one of the eight key financiers of the TLP arrested by a joint team of the counter terrorism wing (CTW) of the FIA from Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi. He said the raid was carried out by tracking down the location of Shah in Rawalpindi.

During the inquiry, the official said, the CTW of the FIA traced 1,800 suspected accounts reportedly used by Inayatul Haq Shah, his family members and other suspects to finance the banned party.

“We have arrested the key figure of the TLP, Syed Inayatul Haq Shah, in the case registered against him with the police station of the counter terrorism circle Lahore,” said the FIA official.

He added that an inquiry established that Shah, along with his accomplices, had withdrawn Rs13.4m cash from a madressah’s account on Oct 13 and 14, 2025 when the TLP’s violent march was taken out from Lahore and it reached Muridke. The FIA official said that such huge withdrawals had given a reasonable cause to suspect that said amount was used for financing the violent March.

“During the inquiry, the financial profiling and counter-terrorism-financing analysis of leadership, financiers, associates and related persons of the TLP was conducted, particularly with reference to financial transactions having relevance to the violent TLP mobilization/Muridke incident,” reads the FIR, a copy available with Dawn.

The FIR pointed out Oct 9 to 15, 2025 when the transactions were made.

During scrutiny of bank statements, the FIA’s CTW Lahore stated that details, institutional accounts and other available record of Syed Inayatul Haq Shah alias Sultanpuri and his father Syed Ziaul Haq Shah surfaced due to substantial financial activity through personal and associated religious/madressah accounts immediately before and during the violent protest period.

During the inquiry, a considerable time was provided to Syed Inayatul Haq Shah and Syed Ziaul Haq Shah, requiring them to join the enquiry and explain the huge cash withdrawals and movement of funds amounting to Rs13.4m, including the source, purpose, authority and utilisation; however, they failed to appear and join the enquiry proceedings.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2026