Domestic Terrorists

In recent weeks at least seven policemen were killed and over 500 injured in violent clashes with Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) as they blocked roads making their way to Islamabad. Speaking to Reuters, a Punjab police spokesman said, “TLP activists used SMG, AK 47 and pistols to target police officials as the result of which several officials were martyred.” The result? The government of Pakistan entered into yet another deal with the group, acquiesced to some of their demands of releasing prisoners and allowed TLP members to be able to contest elections.

Furthermore, the Government took TLP leader Saad Rizvi, son of late Khadim Rizvi, off its terrorism watch list and released him from prison. In return, TLP agreed to end their demand for the expulsion of the French Ambassador over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and forgo politics of violence.

These oft-repeated violent clashes serve several lessons. The government must be better prepared. Such a crowd requires advance deployment of a heavily armed national guard, or army, to keep crowds under control and protect infrastructure. They, alongside law enforcement, must be equipped with riot gear, tear gas, water cannons and all forms of protection to safeguard their own lives while they keep the streets and cities safe. Whereas protestors have a right to peacefully protest within the confines of the law, laws must be obeyed. Protestors do not have the right to terrorize others, kill police officers, or block roads they are not authorized to protest on. Perpetrators of violence must be brought to justice. The police officers who sacrificed their lives should be given the highest of honours and celebrated for their heroism for the country to set a clear narrative and appreciate their ultimate sacrifice for the nation.

What message does it serve for the government to be negotiating with those who advocate violence and use violence against the police force and politicians? The TLP group was founded by a campaign to free Mumtaz Qadri, Governor Salman Taseer’s assassin. On February 29, 2017, Pakistan hung Qadri during the tenure of the PML-N government. Qadri was hanged for assassinating Taseer, a politician from the Pakistan’s People’s Party and the governor of Punjab. Qadri had assassinated Taseer as what he called a religious duty to defend the honour of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Carrying out the sentence, despite protests by TLP, showed a willingness on behalf of Pakistan’s courts, institutions, and government to curb extremism and vigilantism. The Supreme Court of Pakistan also later acquitted Asia Bibi on the basis of insufficient evidence. In 2017 TLP demonstrators used violence again and attacked the law minister’s home and yet again their demands were met.

Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted to take a stronger stance against the TLP after coming into power and banned the group in April 2021 although, when he was in the opposition, he had wanted to join them in their Faizabad sit-in. He was soon after forced to remove the ban. This inconsistency will mean that other extremist organizations will also see violent clashes as a means to normalize their narrative. Pakistan could instead benefit from having stricter enforcement of laws and a clear and consistent narrative towards extremist groups.

There was further confusion and controversy with the 2017 Faizabad dharna verdict. Supreme Court Justice Qazi Faez Isa expressed concern that the country’s intelligence agencies could not trace the source of income or whereabouts of bank accounts of the TLP and demanded answers. If TLP is to be mainstreamed and once again allowed to contest elections, then their sources of funding should be disclosed. Video coverage of envelopes of money being distributed to TLP protestors in 2017 by a senior army officer also surfaced and was not adequately explained.

Pakistan’s reluctance to bring to justice, crack down on, or simply end its relationships with extremist groups is also alienating it further internationally. With the FATF grey-listing, the world is keeping watch on how Pakistan handles these groups. FATF’s headquarters also happen to be in France. When the French caricature controversy came about, TLP demanded that the French Ambassador be returned. Pakistan’s Prime Minister should set a clear stance on this issue and it should be explained at the highest level of government rather than the streets.

Perhaps a lesson can also be learned from how the United States has dealt severely with those involved in the January 6th attack on the US Capitol. Those who violently stormed the capitol building or harmed law enforcement were not given amnesty but labeled domestic terrorists and strict action was taken against them to set an example so that such a violent attack on America’s capital and its democracy does not occur again.