Senator Raza Rabbani said on Saturday that the state failed to protect its own institutions, expressing disappointment over the federal government’s unwillingness to deal with those who challenged state’s writ.
While talking to journalists, the former Senate chairman criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s decision to give in to the demands of and enter an agreement with the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protesters who had “provoked the nation against the army and judiciary”.
The agreement, which came days after Prime Minister Imran Khan had unequivocally warned protesters to “not clash with the state”, disappointed Rabbani a great deal.
“It is unfortunate that the state of Pakistan is under the rule of combatants,” the senior Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader said in a statement. “The Constitution and the law are being moulded according to the wishes of these warlords. Quaid-e-Azam [Muhammad Ali Jinnah] would be rolling over in his grave.”
The PPP stalwart felt that the state was unable to perform its job, saying, “The public is being provoked against the judges who ruled as per the law. Those who provoked the army to mutiny are given reassurances. The state failed to take action against those who issued provocations.”
Rabbani warned that the fallout of a state that allows its writ to be challenged is “very severe”.
“This is very dangerous that the state is not willing to safeguard its own institutions,” he said, adding, “In these circumstances, no judge or special court would dare to give a verdict against terrorists. The confidence of the common man gets eroded this way.”
After three days of violent protests across the country, the TLP on Friday reached an agreement with the federal and Punjab governments under which the latter will initiate the process to put the name of Aasiya Bibi, after she was acquitted by the Supreme Court of blasphemy charge, on the Exit Control List (ECL) and refrain from objecting to review of the court judgement