Over the past few days, it has once again become apparent how easy it is for a small group of people to paralyze the country and frustrate the law enforcement authorities. The latest protests by a particular religious-party are rightly being criticized for their violence and the bad name they bring to the country. By now, Pakistanis should have gotten used to such protests, but there is something terrible about each new episode, causing fresh outrage.
What is dangerously different this time is that violence has spread like wildfire in major cities from Rawalpindi to Karachi in no time. Police personnel have been hounded and beaten by angry mobs. Several Punjab police officials were taken hostage and had to be rescued. At least two policemen have been killed and 340 injured as of yesterday, as per federal interior minister. The morale among the police must be severely low right now.
As the frontline of public safety was being decimated by out-of-control anarchists, the federal and provincial governments stood idly by. During an active third coronavirus wave, the lives of Covid-19 patients and those with other ailments have also been put into jeopardy by protesters’ actions and government’s inactions. The state appeared clueless and it has been a free for all these past few days. The public, facing so much else, did not need another crisis to hobble their lives like this.
The federal interior minister yesterday announced that GT Road and Motorways were all clear, as if that’s the benchmark for success in rooting out a crisis like this. But for how long can even those roads remain open? The strategy of appeasement has not worked before and it will not work now. Now there is talk at the highest level of banning the TLP. While the organisation can be outlawed on paper, what is the associated line of action to crack down on violence and restore law and order across the country?
The government needs to come up with a coherent narrative and action plan against the violence inflicted by the religious right, and also seek the support of the public at large. And it needs to do so fast. Otherwise, sporadic crackdowns spanning over several days or weeks risk turning the situation into an even bigger crisis. Unfortunately, the environment is ripe for a public backlash, as living and earning a living during the pandemic has been a nightmare for many.
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