Where is hardliner Saad Rizvi? Pak 'in the dark' about TLP chief's whereabouts, says he fled to PoK

Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan party leader Saad Rizvi (File)

• TLP leaders Saad and Anas Rizvi missing; law agencies deny holding them.
• Rizvi brothers hiding in PoK, wanted for multiple anti-terrorism cases: Officials
• TLP is a far-right religious party known for violent protests and hardline views.

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The whereabouts of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Saad Hussain Rizvi and his brother Anas Rizvi have kept the law enforcement agencies on edge in Pakistan even as the group claims that the leaders are "already in custody".

The two Islamic hardline leaders, who recently led massive protests in the neighbouring country, have reportedly gone into hiding and remained beyond the reach of Pakistani authorities for nearly three months.

However, according to a report in Dawn, an alleged statement by the banned TLP group said that the leaders are in the custody of agencies.

The claim was promptly rejected by law enforcement officials, who said that the Rizvi brothers are currently hiding in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

An official quoted by Dawn denied claims that Saad Rizvi is in custody, adding that the leaders are most likely being sheltered by a loyal worker of TLP in the hilly areas. He described the claim circulating online as “false, funny and self-generated”.

Investigators say the two have now become “high-profile wanted criminals” due to a string of cases filed against them, including anti-terrorism charges. “So far, 44 FIRs have been registered against Saad and Anas in Sheikhupura and 11 in Lahore, in which they are nominated,” the source said.

Officials said the manhunt has been complicated by the fugitives’ communications blackout. One officer said they were not using phones or other devices, limiting tracking options, Dawn reported.

Who is Saad Rizvi

Rizvi is the second Ameer of TLP who has positioned himself as a disruptive ideological force in Pakistan’s politics.

He previously served as the party’s Deputy Secretary-General and became the leader after the death of his father, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, in November 2020.

Under Saad Rizvi, TLP has taken a hardline stance against Israel and expressed strong support for Palestine, aligning with Hamas and urging the Pakistani government to provide more aid to Gaza. During a 2024 sit-in protest in Faizabad, Rizvi called for boycotts of Israeli products, labeled Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu a terrorist, and demanded humanitarian aid for Gaza.

Last year, TLP announced massive pro-Palestine protests across Pakistan, which ended in violent clashes between the party's supporters and Lahore police.

TLP was formed in 2015 by cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi. It is a far-right religious party following the Barelvi sect of Sunni Islam.

The party calls for the death penalty for those accused of blasphemy and has a history of violent protests against attempts to modify Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. TLP has also been involved in attacks on police officers and advocated for the execution of Supreme Court justices.