The recent clash between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers and police outside the Judicial Complex in Islamabad came as a harsh reminder of the 10-day-long Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) agitation between April 11 and 20, 2021. The TLP protestors laid siege to many towns in Punjab, and the policemen were subjected to brutal treatment. The incident was widely covered by the media, and there were allegations and counter-allegations of excessive use of force by the police and vice versa.
Imran Khan, who was the prime minister in 2021, addressed the nation, condemning barbarity committed against the policemen by the TLP protestors that injured nearly 800 people. However, no action was taken against the culprits. A ban, earlier imposed on the party, was lifted, sending a message that aggression and lawlessness may triumph over rule of law.
The incident served as a negative reminder for law enforcement personnel – that they must first assess the TLP threats to their safety than enforce law.
The PTI activists are repeating the same acts of lawlessness their leader Khan had condemned two years ago. Reports indicate that the PTI activists threw petrol bombs and fired teargas shells at police officers, injuring 10 of them, including Senior Superintendent of Police (Operations) Islamabad Malik Jameel Zafar.
The incident reportedly also resulted in the burning of 21 police vehicles, vandalism of a police post, and property damages – and as many as 60 policemen were hurt.
Similar to the TLP protest of 2021, the spread of fake news and conspiracy theories on social media sparked violence and distrust. While the government is criticising the former prime minister for disobeying a court order, the media and bar councils remain divided on the issue. Some have criticised the police for using excessive force, while others questioned the judiciary’s leniency to Khan, who defied a court order by staging a show of force with his supporters outside the court.
The PTI activists are repeating the same acts of lawlessness their leader Khan had condemned two years ago. Reports indicate that the PTI activists threw petrol bombs and fired teargas shells at police officers, injuring 10 of them, including Senior Superintendent of Police (Operations) Islamabad Malik Jameel Zafar.
The ongoing stalemate between the PTI activists and the law enforcement agencies is also reminiscent of the Lal Masjid incident that occurred 15 years ago in Islamabad. Back then, senior cleric of the mosque, Maulana Abdul Aziz, had vowed to launch thousands of suicide attacks if the government tried to close down the madrassa. This led to a deadly siege of the mosque, bringing the national capital to a standstill and forcing the government to engage in lengthy negotiations with the mosque’s administration. The siege persisted for six months, culminating in a fierce battle between the army and local militants, marking one of the deadliest incidents in the country’s history to occur in the heart of the capital.
The bloody conclusion of the Lal Masjid siege claimed lives of over 100 militants and 11 armed forces personnel. The incident sparked a surge in militancy across the country and led to the formation of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), with support from al-Qaeda and other militant groups who had found sanctuary in the former Fata region.
It’s unfortunate to note that some forces that promote extremist or ultra-right ideologies and resort to violence against the state machinery are given more leeway or are not held accountable for the anti-state actions.
