Extremist designs foiled
The sectarian clash in Rawalpindi which led to the killing of 11 people was unfortunate and highly condemnable. In view of the sensitivity of the matter, Punjab government immediately announced a judicial probe to determine the responsibility. The Lahore High Court CJ nominated Justice Mamoonur Rashid as the one-man commission. Side by side with the judicial enquiry, the government also formed a three-member fact-finding committee to pinpoint the factors which might have helped the miscreants – like possible loopholes in administrative arrangements and security cover provided to the Ashura procession. The committee is expected to recommend measures within seven days to avert a similar repetition of communal violence. Meanwhile, the Punjab law minister has attested to the arrest of 28 suspects with the help of security cameras. Within a few days the cases of those found to have been involved in the killings would be sent for trial. This is how justice is meted out in a democracy.
Instead of letting the law take its course, extremist elements decided to take recourse to agitation. The moderate religious organizations across the sectarian divide however dissociated themselves from the protests. So did the clerics belonging to the destroyed seminary of Rawalpindi, who advised the congregation to disperse peacefully after the Friday prayers. If the idea behind the call for countrywide protests on Friday was to make the government take action, this had already been done. The call was given and manpower provided for the demos by Wafaqul Madaris, which controls hundreds of religious seminaries. It was supported by the ASWJ and DPC. The former is widely seen as a reincarnation of the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) while the later is an umbrella organization comprising other banned outfits operating under new names, plus JUI-S, JI and a number of individuals known for extremist views. Some of the parties in the DPC share the TTP’s opposition to democracy as a political system opposed to Islam. Those who gave the call for protest were apparently not happy with an impartial investigation, forgetting that unjustified protests of the type can lead to sectarian confrontation and anarchy.
The federal and provincial administrations as well as the Gigit-Baltistan government had to mobilize their administrative machinery and the coercive arms of the state to foil any untoward incident. Islamabad had to be sealed while schools were closed in several cities. Businesses also suffered. Finally, moderation and sanity prevailed and the designs of the extremist forces were foiled.