- From Faizabad interchange to Punjab’s capital city
The September 17, 2017, NA-120 by-election was the political weathervane warning of unsettled climatic conditions ahead in the domestic electoral sphere, but not entirely without their international ramifications. It first revealed the balloting muscle of two little known outfits, the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and the Milli Muslim League, with both surrogate candidates’ judiciously contesting as independents. The TLP has since demonstrated considerable street power, holding the Faizabad interchange sit-in during November 2017, resulting in casualties, disruption of metro, motorway and everyday life, and resignation of a federal minister, with normalcy restored after three weeks by an 11-point deal struck on November 27 between the government and TLP leadership, brokered (as guarantor?) by the army. It included making the Raja Zafarul Haq Report public, withdrawal of all cases, release of arrested activists, compensation for deceased protester’s heirs and government to pay for damaged property. But it only turned out to be an illusion.
An honourable judge of Islamabad High Court declared the deal null and void, as cases registered against the protesters under Terrorism Act could not just be wished away. Due to continued absence from an anti-terrorism court, despite repeated summons, the TLP chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi and others were first declared absconders, and after 30 days, as proclaimed offenders this Tuesday. The federal government, responsible for the ‘original sin’ of a controversial amendment to the Elections Act 2017, and the Punjab government, as usual appear weak and wavering, instead of displaying firmness in arresting the declared proclaimed offenders, who are audaciously continuing a sit-in outside Data Darbar, another busy city and inter-city artery, and holding press conferences. They are demanding fulfillment of the November deal, railing at government and guarantors, and threatening country-wide protests, if their demands are not met by Friday. A western leader could remark without fear of a fiery backlash that, ‘the priest in politics we shall eliminate. We shall send him back to the pulpit and the altar’, but here it is altogether a different proposition. Still, Punjab government must finally show some grit for, give these radicals an inch, they will take a mile. Faizabad turmoil must not be repeated.