ISLAMABAD — Pakistan banned a hard-line Islamist party on Thursday, more than a week after heated clashes with police that left at least five people dead.

The ban follows a march by the party, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), earlier this month from the eastern city of Lahore to the capital city, Islamabad. It escalated into a vicious street battle between TLP supporters and police in Lahore and the nearby city of Murdike, leading to a crackdown on the party, which has come to be known for these violent confrontations.

A statement from the office of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the ban was unanimously approved by the federal cabinet, citing "violent and terrorist activities." The ban is the latest chapter in a complicated relationship between the Pakistani state and

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