Pakistan's crackdown on TLP spotlights widening national crisis: Report

Islamabad, Oct 21 (IANS) The Pakistani government’s handling of the recent protests by the Islamist radical group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan exposes an escalating crisis within the country, unfolding amid violence, suppression, and strategic missteps, a report said on Tuesday.

It added that while authorities insist that strong measures are essential to prevent chaos, the damage to Pakistan’s social fabric, democratic reputation, and relations with Western countries is immediate and evident.

“The recent protests led by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) have once again thrust the country into a state of political chaos, exposing deep fault lines within society and government, and imperilling Pakistan’s relations with key international partners. Over the past week, violent clashes between TLP supporters and state security agencies across the Punjab province have claimed the lives of more than a dozen people, including law enforcement officers, and have seen aggressive measures taken by authorities to curtail dissent,” a report in Athens-based Geopolitico detailed.

“The consequences of this unrest reach far beyond immediate bloodshed, with repercussions visible in Pakistan’s domestic stability and its standing with Western powers,” it added.

According to the report, the spiral of unrest erupted when the TLP, known for its hardline religious stance with a history of mobilising mass protests over blasphemy and anti-Western sentiment, called for a “Labbaik Ya Aqsa Million March” to Islamabad. The group, it said, called for both pro-Palestinian policies and government action against Western diplomatic interests. Its supporters gathered near Lahore, intending to reach the US embassy in the capital in protest against Western approaches towards the Gaza conflict.

“The demonstrations quickly turned violent, with protesters engaging in stone-pelting, setting fire to public vehicles, wielding makeshift weapons, and, according to authorities, resorting to indiscriminate gunfire that left both civilians and security personnel dead and injured,” the report mentioned.

The report emphasised that these events stem from Pakistan’s persistent susceptibility to religiously motivated mass mobilisation, repeatedly exposing weak state capacity for mediation and law enforcement, reinforcing the perception of governance failures.

“With the TLP now claiming hundreds of casualties among its members and the broader population increasingly polarised, the ground is fertile for further unrest. The group’s agitation has historically focused on emotive religious issues but is now also tied to geopolitical grievances, a combination that complicates state efforts to contain and negotiate,” the report stressed.

“Unless new approaches are adopted that balance public order with responsible engagement, Pakistan may find itself locked into an endless cycle of protest and crackdown that erodes both domestic stability and external credibility,” it noted.

--IANS

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