Not for the first time
The PMLN government failed to take measures to rein in the extremists as required by the unanimously adopted National Action Plan (NAP). The Sharif administration was so immersed in day to day activities that it had no time to curb the extremist tendencies prevalent in the country . The unconcern allowed religious extremism to further spread its tentacles. Consequently some of the networks run by the Barelvi clerics otherwise supposed to be moderate also adopted an extremist agenda.
In March last year the PML-N government was presented highly irrational demands by the Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TYRA) and Pakistan Sunni Tehrik (PST) that included declaring Mumtaz Qadri a martyr, making his death cell a national heritage and dismissing all non Muslims from key government posts. The government was taken by surprise and didn’t know what to do when more than 10,000 charged protesters entered the capital damaging buildings, setting fire to the metro station, containers and buses. It took Ch Nisar a number of days to get the capital vacated. The government however did not draw the right lessons and let the malaise metastasize.
The PML-N unexpectedly set off a firestorm last month when it presented an electoral law that included a seemingly small alteration in an oath. The change prompted accusations of blasphemy from religious parties and the government retreated in panic, calling it a clerical mistake. The apologetic attitude encouraged the TYRA and despite the change in the wording it demanded the resignation of the Law Minister. As this was not accepted the TYRA and PST marched unhindered on Islamabad. On the way the clerics delivered fiery speeches, again unhindered, and collected more followers.
For five days the crowd has camped at Faizabad interchange blocking two major arteries that connect Islamabad with Rawalpindi and link the urban and rural areas of the capital stopping employees, students, patients, litigants, and those going to foreign embassies for visas from entering Islamabad. The government has done little other than registering cases against some of the fiery speakers. This defensive attitude will encourage any small crowd to block the capital city to force the government to accept its irrational demands.
