S. John
Pakistan, being an Islamic republic is home to 96 percent Muslims. Such overwhelming majority of population and most of them being practicing Muslims have religious sentiments attached to their beliefs. As the knowledge is widespread now, masses are well aware of the true teachings of Islam, as stated in the Holy Quran, contrary to the days of ignorance. People are no longer blind followers of religious dummies which are spreading anarchy through their anti-state propaganda. Religion has been a weapon in world politics since centuries and Pakistan has posted a similar image since its creation. It was created on the name of Islam with a complete proposition of peace and harmony within state and among states.
Anti-Pakistan activists are active since the beginning and have damaged Pakistan more than any external force. Not just this, anti-state groups are deeply disseminated in the country’s affairs.
Religion is used as a tool by the anti-state forces to manipulate people’s perspective and incite rebellious mindsets against the authorities amongst general public. One such names is the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a political face of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYRA), founded by Khadim Hussain Rizvi, a wheelchair-bound religious scholar, who used to give Friday sermons in a Mosque near Data Darbar Lahore. Rizvi, came under spotlight after his first public appearance following the death of Mumtaz Qadri, an elite force guard who assassinated Salman Taseer, the then Governor Punjab who was accused of supporting Aasia Bibi as she was sentenced to death under section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) commonly referred to as Blasphemy Law.
Rizvi had been an advocate of blasphemy law since the inception of his political career and has used blasphemy as a tool to polish his own boat. He has leaped at every opportunity he saw for his personal and political interest without caring about the disaster it could cause and the risk that his actions projected to the national security. His abusive oratory and foul language were the source of his abrupt fame. Such filthy language and remarks are strictly prohibited in Islamic school of thought and shows his stature as to how much he knows about and values the religion. His advocacy of blasphemy law is a mere publicity stunt and exposes his greed for power and fame.
He has done major damage to the state during his illegal sit-ins at the primary junction of twin cities, Faizabad, halting all the matters of life in both the cities. The first sit-in was in November 2017, where he demanded the resignation of the Minister of Law and Justice, Zahid Hamid, since he proposed the replacement of word ‘oath’ with ‘declaration’ in the Election Bill 2017. Rizvi refuted the change and declared it an attack on the prodigious ness of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and feelings of people of Pakistan. After a 20 days protest costing billions to the national economy, the matter was resolved and the Election Bill was restored to the original form alongside minister’s resignation.
The second protest followed by a sit-in again on the Islamabad Expressway was accompanied by a countrywide call for protest against the acquittal of Aasia Noreen aka Aasia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian Lady who was accused of blasphemy back in 2009 and was sentenced to death by the Sheikhupura court in 2010. Since then she was imprisoned, and his death sentence was challenged worldwide. On 31 October 2018, the Supreme Court of Pakistan acquitted Aasia Bibi quoting that the material provided by the witnesses is inconsistent and contradictory to the facts in the prosecution’s verdict. TLP leader Pir Afzal Qadri in an initiatory speech to the mob under the supervision of Rizvi fueled them into violence and treason. His words had no facts or logics to support their stance then mere hatred towards the State, the Government and its institutions especially Army.
He demanded murder of the judges, in his inflammatory statements, who were involved in the dismissal of Aasia’s case, further trying to stage a mutiny by asking the Army to revolt against the COAS and the military leaders even killing them if possible. He addressed the sitting Prime Minister Imran Khan with Filthy mouth calling him a ‘YahoodiBacha’. Such derogatory comments provoked the mob of frustrated TLP workers all across the country into creating chaos and destroying people’s property. They blocked the roads and pillaged people’s cars and possessions. They didn’t even spare road-side vendors and stole everything they could get their hands on. This act of ruffians was tried to brush under the carpet in the name of protest. The so-called protest caused Billions of rupees to the national economy and millions to the individual’s property.
An insight of all the proceedings reveals that the protesters had no binding religious purposes instead to disrupt the government and its institutions in their initial days. Their narrative synched with that of PML (N) anti-government stand, who were determinedly working towards derailing the government for political gains. Evidently the agenda matched not just with the stance of PML (N) and other political rivalries of PTI government but the strings of these dummies were being pulled from across the border. The Indian Intelligence Agency RAW had been facilitating such anti-state movements not just in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but in all major parts of Pakistan. The reins of TLP, JUI (F), PTM and other hostile groups acting against the state are heavily sponsored by Indian RAW through their agents like Kulbhushan Jadhav.
The matter of blasphemy was a façade since the new government and its institutions are very sincere in upholding the values of Islam which is evident from the personal efforts of Prime Minister Imran Khan in resisting the planned caricatures contest which was to be held in Denmark. The PMIK took into confidence other Islamic countries on the sensitivity of this issue and raised the matter in the United Nations which turned out fruitful as the Dutch anti-Islam politician cancelled the competition. Countering such an issue on international forums speaks for his sincerity with the religion and his love for the Prophet of Islam which implies that no case can possibly be prosecuted against Islamic values under his supervision.
There is an usher need of time and a responsibility of the state to ensure by all means the deterrence of such groups in order to establish harmony inside the country. People are generally aware of the mala fide intentions of such anti-state thugs and take it very sensibly but more needs to be done to expose their dirty games in order to eradicate the damage that they might anticipate. No activity carried out by TLP in these sit-in days was in compliance with the Islamic laws which clearly concludes the story along with the clarity of faces behind them. The perpetrators must be given exemplary retributions for messing with the peace of people and damaging the image of the country in the eyes of international community. They must be held accountable for all what their hands possessed and laws must be made in order to ban the creation of such political parties completely. Their voice must be suppressed by force in the greater interest of the nation and no pressure shall be taken in this regard since more damage to the state has been done by these agitators than any external player.
