- Stop the spread of extremism before it’s too late
While every contender for the general elections has opponents in his constituency, disputes do not lead to physical attacks on candidates unless there is a history of family feuds. No such enmities were ever reported from Ahsan Iqbal’s constituency. The man who attacked him showed affiliation with Tahraik-e-Labbaik during the initial investigation. The TeL leaders have denied any hand in the incident but the way they roused religious frenzy against the PML-N during the Faizabad sit-in and later was enough instigation for actions of the type. Instead of taking a firm action as ordered by Islamabad High Court to nip the evil in the bud, the establishment resorted to a policy of appeasement to disperse the LeT sit-in. When an Anti Terrorism Court issued warrants of arrest of the network‘s leaders, they once again resorted to their antics, turning parts of Lahore into a no-go area The cases were put on the back burner to placate them once again.
The attack on the interior minister raises serious questions about peace and security during the forthcoming elections. Is there going to be a replay of what happened in 2013 elections when the terrorist networks got a free hand to attack the rallies held by the PPP, ANP and MQM and kill their candidates? The only difference one finds now is that the entire opposition has expressed disgust and anger over the attack.
Pakistani society faces great danger from violent extremist networks who spread hatred in the name of religion and sect. That they are being allowed to spread poison does not bode well for the country. Unless these networks are dealt with an iron hand, a perception is bound to be formed that they have strong supporters who are using them for some sinister purposes
Every party should be free to put forth its election manifesto before the people in the forthcoming elections. They should be free to contest the polls without fear or coercion. If attacks of the sort continue to take place questions are bound to be raised about the efficacy of the ongoing anti-terror operations.
