State versus TLP

In Backgrounder
December 1, 2021
Ramsha Qamar
27 Views
0 comments

While many may hold the belief that a far-right religious group is powerless when pitted against one of the nuclear states in the world, the reality in the case of Pakistan is quite different. Tahreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan seems to comprise the capability to extract concessions from the Pakistani government every time it marches towards Islamabad. Most

While many may hold the belief that a far-right religious group is powerless when pitted against one of the nuclear states in the world, the reality in the case of Pakistan is quite different. Tahreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan seems to comprise the capability to extract concessions from the Pakistani government every time it marches towards Islamabad. Most recently, Pakistan’s Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Fawad Chaudhry, addressed the nation and pointed out how the state of Pakistan had to surrender in front of TLP.

Tahreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan emerged as a social religious political movement and is a far-right religious party in Pakistan. It was headed by Khadim Hussain Rizvi who brought together 75 founding members for the purpose of working towards a Pakistan that embraced Sharia Law as the fundamental law of Pakistan and to prevent any altering in the blasphemy law. Majority of the members of TLP belong to the Barelvi sect of Islam. In 2017, Tahreek-e-Labbaik chose the crane as their symbol in elections. TLP has also been associated with organising multiple protests across Punjab, Pakistan.

Tahreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan sprung as a result of the conviction of Mumtaz Qadri for the assassination Governor of Punjab, Salman Taseer. Qadri was a commando of the Elite Police and was attached in the capacity of a personal guard to the Governor when he killed Taseer by shooting him 28 times. Qadri claimed that he killed the Governor for speaking in the defense of Asia Bibi, a Christian women convicted of blasphemy and awaiting a death sentence.

TLP was not in agreement to the sentence announced for Mumtaz Qadri and Khadim Hussain Rizvi openly spoke of his release. Rizvi argued that the assassination of Salman Taseer was justified as he has named the blasphemy law as a ‘black law’. Following Rizvi’s objections to the arrest and sentence of Qadri, he was removed from his office at Auqaf and Religious Affairs Department. Rizvi then decided to travel the country to defend Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code which is associated with any blasphemy committed against the Holy Prophet.

In November 2018, the provincial police conducted an operation on the consent of Federal Cabinet and arrested the head of Tahreek-e-Labbaik, Khadim Hussain Rizvi as well as 50 other members. The arrests were made after Rizvi called for a public rally in Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi planned for 25^th November, succeeding to which protests erupted and the situation depreciated.

Subsequently, there were great media shutdowns and Tahreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan members were banned from accessing social media and websites. The leaders of Tahreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan including Khadim Hussain Rizvi, Pir Afzal Qadri, Inayat Haq Shah and Farooq ul Hassan were retained on charges of treason and terrorism.

On the 19^th of November 2020, Khadim Hussain Rizvi passed away in Lahore. He was taken to two different hospitals and ultimately declared dead. Rizvi was reported to have had temperature and breathing problems troubles before his death; however, no COVID-19 tests had been conducted. Following Rizvi’s death, his son Saad Hussain Rizvi was appointed as the new Ameer on the 21^st of November 2020.

In April 2021, Saad Hussain Rizvi was arrested by the police when he was returning from a funeral prayer after the announcement on a protest that was to be held at the end of the month. The purpose of the protests was to persuade the Pakistani Government to deport the French ambassador in Pakistan over the controversy of cartoons made of the Prophet Muhammad. During the time of the protests, the French embassy asked its citizens to temporarily leave the country.

The arrest of Saad Rizvi led to the rise of protests which resulted in the death of 2 policemen and left 340 injured. The following day, Tahreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan was barred from the Parliament due to the rallies on the complaint of the Interior Minister on the grounds of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. This resulted in the ban of Tahreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan on 15^th April 2021.

By the end of the week, the protest had transformed into far more catastrophic uprising across Punjab. While on an operation to remove TLP members from their offices in Saddar, Lahore, 11 police officers were wounded as a result of confrontation between the two forces. TLP protestors also attacked a police station in Nawan Kot, where they took 12 policemen as hostage and tortured them. The policemen were set free the next day after talks between TLP management and the government often job. The protesters were also held responsible for the theft of an oil tanker. These rallies led to the deaths of 2 protesters and battered 50.

The day of 20th April brought with it a misperception regarding the release of TLP leader, Saad Rizvi. While certain reports were gathered on the release of Rizvi, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed stated that he had in fact not being released, later in the day. Rasheed went on to elaborate that majority of the people arrested during the protests had been released and also spoke of the damage caused by them including the burning of 30 cars and the looting of 5 vehicles which were later returned. He also added that a session had been called in the National Assembly to discuss the issue of the removal of the French ambassador.

The detention of Saad Hussain Rizvi was rejected by the Lahore High Court on 8th July 2021. The judiciary argued that the government had no solid evidence to hold him in captivity. However, his detention was extended by 90 days under the antiterrorism act 1997. Fawad Chaudhary later announced on 13th July that the government of Pakistan was in consensus to maintain the ban on Tahreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan in place and promoted the Election Commission of Pakistan to cancel the party’s election symbol.

While tensions heightened between that two parties, the situation moved towards a more violent one in October. Demanding the release of their leader and the expulsion of the French ambassador, TLP protesters sprouted in mushroom-like dissents across Punjab. During their March towards Islamabad, the Tahreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan rallies were stopped in Wazirabad, where an agreement was reached upon between the government and the religious party.

Whereas the details of the agreement have not been released to the public yet, it is speculated in the media that the terms decided dictate that while the government would not pursue trivial cases against TLP, disputes filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act would be decided through the judiciary. Others have conjectured that it may also have also been discussed that the government would commence the unfreezing of Tahreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s assets and bank accounts.

Following these talks, the government of Pakistan removed TLP from First Schedule of the Act as a proscribed organisation and enlisted it back on its previous status on the 7^th of November. Less than two weeks later, TLP’s leader, Saad Rizvi, was released from jail and removed from the Fourth Schedule by the order of the Supreme Court.

It has come as a surprise to many that there exist amongst us groups so powerful that they can confront the very state of Pakistan. Although previously others have attempted to act upon similar strategies, such an outcome is hardly expected. TLP protesters seem to have walked away with triumph on their side whereas Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi simply stated to want to “wrap up the issues”.