Politics of hate

Although we have been able to curb terrorism to some extent on our borders and within our cities, we have not been able to tackle the hatred that has seeped into the political sphere. This hatred has damaged us more than enemy attacks. The assassination attempt on the interior minister, Ahsan Iqbal, is just another example of extremism in our country. Many party leaders are notorious of spreading hate against other politicians. Last year, a political party brought the entire capital to a standstill.

Whatever happened during that sit-in and whatever message the leaders spread during those days will have long-lasting and negative repercussions on our future politics. This is because our leaders have failed to control people. When a leader fails to impose discipline among his voters, incidents like the Ahsan Iqbal assassination bid will become even more commonplace and a larger threat than external terrorism. All stakeholders need to ponder over this serious issue and take remedial actions without any delay.

Zahid Ali Khan

Rawalpindi