Pakistan is known for its state-sponsored terrorism. The country not only creates terror groups but also is a home for around twelve foreign terror outfits out of which five are India centric. However, the country has fallen in the pit it dug itself as violence erupted in the country after a terror outfit began protesting against its own government.
Violent clashes in Lahore
Around 8,000 radical Islamists of a banned terror outfit, Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in Lahore came together to protest against Imran Khan Government on Saturday. The so-called protest by the Islamists was carried out against the detention of its chief Saad Hussain Rizvi asking for his release.
However, the protests soon turned into major violence and the clashes between the police and radical Islamists led to the killing of around ten people including three policemen. As reported by PTI, TLP official Ibn-i-Ismail informed, “A total of seven TLP activists have been killed by the direct firing of police and over 700 suffered injuries in Lahore so far.”
Pakistan’s Punjab CM Usman Buzdar also asserted that the three policemen lost their lives during the violent clashes with TLP protesters.
Reportedly, more than 2,000 TLP radicals have been arrested under terrorism, kidnapping, blocking roads, hooliganism, and other charges.
Scared Imran called back Home Minister
Soon after the banned organization announced that it will stage protests in multiple cities of the country, Imran Khan, bereft of any solution to deal with the ongoing situation, called back Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed. Rasheed had reached UAE to enjoy the Pakistan-India T20 World Cup match. A few days back, while interacting with the media, Rasheed had said, “PM Imran Khan had approved my request for a two-day holiday to watch the game live in the UAE.”
However, witnessing the chaos created by terror outfit TLP, Imran asked Rasheed to return as he had no clue how to maintain the law-and-order situation in Pakistan. Well, Rasheed arrived in Islamabad on Saturday.
A day prior to the violence, CM Buzdar had announced the government’s decision to hold talks with the banned outfit on Twitter. He wrote, “We have formed a committee, consisting of senior members of the Punjab Cabinet Raja Basharat and Chaudhry Zaheeruddin to negotiate with the banned organisation.”
Pakistan’s never-ending love for the terror groups
Pakistan is well known for providing shelter to several terrorist groups. Financial Action Task Force (FATF) placed Pakistan on the “grey list” in 2018 as the country lacked “strategic deficiencies” to prevent money laundering and terror financing. But the country did nothing to act against the ongoing terrorism in the state. Thus, it has been once again retained on the grey list on October 21, 2021.
Read more: With Biden in the White House, Pakistan wished to get out of the FATF grey list. Didn’t happen
According to the US’s Country Report on Terrorism 2019, Pakistan has not taken any concrete steps to eliminate terrorist groups operating deep-rooted in its soil. The report noted that “Pakistan continues to act as a safe haven for some regionally focused terrorist groups.”
Read more: Imran Khan had nurtured and formed the TLP but it is turning into a noose around his neck
The TLP has been a vociferous proponent of Pakistan severing all ties with France, banning imports from the European country, and expelling the French ambassador for his country’s fight against blasphemy. Earlier this year, in the aftermath of the large-scale protests triggered by TLP, at least two people were killed while hundreds were injured.
The snakes that Pakistan reared for so long in the hopes of destablising India are set to bite their own country. Thus, Imran Khan is left with no choice but to face the repercussions as it is too late for Pakistan to learn from its mistakes now.