Chaos again

They are at it again. The same story that we have seen umpteen times: miscreants disturbing public life and the government dilly dallying over firm action against the troublemakers. Over a dozen people have lost their lives including policemen. The banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has been protesting for over a week now as the interior minister talked about ‘negotiations’. The TLP is not doing this for the first time; the group has been emboldened by each victory when the government nearly surrenders. The last few years have seen the TLP gain momentum at the cost of peaceful and routine life in cities. That such groups manage to bring cities in Pakistan to a standstill over their demands should be a serious cause of concern for all those who actually run this country, or at least pretend to do so. Demands such as the expulsion of the French ambassador are not easy to comply with and nor are they in the interest of the country when Pakistan is already under tremendous pressure from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF); the government is at least well aware of this.

TLP protesters are trying to repeat earlier episodes in which they managed to get their activists and leaders released despite police cases against them. Earlier this year, similar widespread protests led by the group had triggered scenes on the streets not different from the ones being staged now in the country. Though the party is ostensibly outlawed, it manages to defy the ban. This is the third time in four years that this outfit has disturbed the peace by staging such protests. Before April this year, it was in Nov 2020 that similar agitation had erupted, and the government appeared to be powerless to tackle the turmoil. It must become clear now that just by trying to defuse the tensions and placating the protesters, things will not change in real terms.

The fact is that in our country, we have hesitated time and again in dealing with militant organisations. Before the TLP, the TTP was treated the same way. Bans on militant outfits have frequently been reversed or ignored. In addition, there have been deals between banned organisations, including the TLP and major parties, while we should also note that the TLP has collected a sizable share of the vote in the last election and in by-polls held since then. The government’s failure to implement its agenda against such militancy is sending a wrong signal to myriad groups that have infested Pakistan for the past many decades. The PTI government has been botching up its handling of TLP protests; it strikes a deal and then the restoration of peace is only fleeting, and after some time leads to fresh protests amid accusations that the government failed to keep its promises. Such flare-ups are not good for society, neither are they serving any political or social purpose apart from just pushing the country back on an even more conservative trail. It is ultimately the government’s responsibility to protect lives and properties, and the country cannot afford any more lax response from the government in such matters.