ISLAMABAD: Bloody long-march of the proscribed militant outfit has led to several casualties and injuries to many others, including policemen and protesters. This violent long-march has exposed the approaches from both the sides _ the government and the leaders of the banned organization.
On the one hand, the federal and provincial governments are changing their approaches regarding the long march while on the other, the protesters are using the religion card and engaging in violence.
A few days ago, the Punjab and federal governments formed committees which held meetings with the banned outfit chief Saad Riazi (now in jail in Lahore) and other leaders of this party. The meetings proved an exercise in futility as the protesters continued their long march, claiming that their demands were not met and this unexpected situation not only escalated tension in the country, but also caused more casualties in violent clashes on roads between police and protesters.
A few months ago, the same religious party launched a violent long-march which ended with an agreement between the government and the proscribed religious organization. A few conditions of the agreement was the release of the chief of this party in Oct-2021 and expulsion of the ambassador of France in Islamabad.
However, according to banned organization when the government did not honour the commitments made in the agreement within the prescribed deadline, the workers of the party again initiated Islamabad march from Lahore and Rawalpindi which led to gory clashes between the police officials and workers of the religious party. Consequently, eight policemen have been killed brutally in clashes, hundreds of cops have suffered injuries. The protesters too have suffered casualties and injuries.
Now a few questions arise in the mind of the people, upset by the ongoing skirmishes between police and banned outfit in Lahore, Murdike, Sadhoke, and Rawalpindi. Why the government is making commitments which it cannot fulfill? Why the ministers and spokespersons of the government were giving contradictory and confusing statements about the agreement, long-march, and clashes between police officials and party’s workers?
Why the government is tolerating a policy that motivates a proscribed religious outfit to come on roads, street, use firearms, play with the lives of the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) personnel and paralyse the urban areas and important roads in the name of religion?
For how long the banned outfits would continue to take into hostage the entire
system in Pakistan and kill and injure as many officials of the law enforcement agencies as they want.
In the prevailing scenario, the federal and Punjab governments must evolve a solid policy that discourages militancy and ensures none of the proscribed outfits in Pakistan use religious card to create anarchy and unrest in the country.
Meanwhile, the government must ensure that whatever commitments the govt’s teams make with the protesters are implemented in the letter and spirit to end the culture of mistrust that leads to violence.
In last few days, about eight policemen have been brutally killed by protesters, more than 400 cops have suffered injuries. Some of them have sustained fatal injuries. Also, the protesters of banned organization have faced casualties and fatalities, but their exact number is yet not available. Tension is mounting in the country with growing clashes and advancing march of the protesters.
The government, therefore, must draw a clear line to put an end to violence in the name of religion which we are seeing for many years. Let the peace prevail in the country and the religious parties practice religion and not the militancy to achieve their goals.
