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Tuesday March 19, 2024

The heckler’s veto

By Editorial Board
July 22, 2018

A functioning democracy requires a level playing field. Every candidate should have the right to campaign freely, without fear for their safety. Unfortunately, such conditions do not exist in the days before the coming general election. On Friday, Jibran Nasir, an independent candidate and human rights lawyer running from the NA-247 and PS-11 constituencies, and his team were attacked by an angry mob at a corner meeting and his posters were torn. Nasir says the extremist Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan was responsible. This was not the first time Nasir has been intimidated by a threatening mob. The fact is that there have already been numerous attacks on the candidates of mainstream political parties by mainstreamed extremist groups. This has a material effect on the elections as those political parties and candidates who fear being targeted naturally have to take extra precautions and curtail their campaigning while those who have been spared the wrath of such groups are able to campaign freely. We saw this happen in 2013 as well when some parties were hardly able to hit the campaign trail because they were firmly in the crosshairs of militant outfits. Running for public office shouldn’t require politicians to daily face the threat of assassination.

The violence of militant groups and their fellow extremist ideologues essentially gives them undue power in the elections. One reason most mainstream parties have sought out the support of groups like the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat and unrepentant militants like Fazlur Rehman Khalil is that they feel it gives them added protection. But it is precisely this type of appeasement that emboldens militants. The reason the TLP felt safe attacking Jibran Nasir is that it did far worse during its Faizabad sit-in but was ultimately rewarded by the state for its violence and destruction. All its demands were met, including the resignation of a sitting minister, and none of its members were arrested for the role they played during the dharna. The ground we have ceded to extremists during this ongoing election campaign has been immense. Groups that were banned have been allowed to take part in the election under new names. When extremist vigilantes go after individual campaigns, security forces are nowhere to be seen and most mainstream political parties are too scared to denounce such attacks. On top of that, groups like the TTP and Islamic State can strike at any time. If there is one thing we have learned during this election season, it is that the foundations of our democratic system remain shaky as those who have rejected the very system use violence to give themselves a heckler’s veto.