Pakistani government to outlaw Islamist Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan party
On Wednesday, Pakistani Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid announced his intention to outlaw the Islamist party Tereek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP). The group is accused of killing two policemen, attacking authorities and disrupting public life through violent demonstrations. These protests began after the party's chief, Saad Rizvi, was arrested on Monday. The Punja region has been the worst affected by the unrest, which has left 340 people injured. According to Sheikh Rashid, the protesters also abducted several policemen, who have since been released. They also blocked ambulances and the supply of oxygen to hospitals amid the third wave of the coronavirus affecting the country. The minister also ruled out any negotiations with the Islamist party. "We are not banning them for a political reason, but because of their character," Rashid said. He also claimed that if the government complied with the demands imposed by the TLP, Pakistan would send a signal to the world that it is an extremist state. "We don't want to be known as an extremist nation internationally," he added.
The TLP advocates the expulsion of the French ambassador from Islamabad months after the controversy over Emmanuel Macron's statements. Macron, during the funeral of the professor beheaded by a radical, said that the country is secular and that "all caricatures have a place". These words infuriated the most Islamist sectors in Pakistan, including the TLP party and its supporters. The Pakistani government also rejected the French president's remarks, backing a boycott of French products. However, the confrontation between Islamabad and Paris remained a diplomatic crisis, while the TLP continued its protests against France, becoming increasingly violent. Because of Prime Minister Imram Khan's stance, the Islamist group's hatred also spread to the country's own government. Saad Rizvi, leader of the TLP, even threatened the government if it did not expel the French ambassador.
The TLP was founded in 2015 by Khadim Hussain Rizvi, father of the current leader. Its main argument is to protect Islam and condemn blasphemy against the religion. It also advocates the imposition of Sharia law in the country. In 2017 the group secured the resignation of Justice Minister Zahid Hamid after blockading Islamabad with protests. The TLP considered the minister a "blasphemer". They also protested against the acquittal of Christian Asia Bibi, who was sentenced to death for allegedly insulting the Prophet Muhammad. In recent years the group's top leaders have been killed in US attacks, as it is considered a terrorist group in Washington. The organisation is supported by the Pakistani Taliban. "We pay tribute to them for showing courage and reminding the authorities of reality. We will avenge every drop of blood of the martyrs", the terrorist organisation said in a statement. In 2020 the government reached an agreement with the TLP, but due to Imram Khan's stance on confrontation with France, protests have resumed.
After this decision, it is expected that the protests will not end, indeed, it is possible that citizens sympathetic to the TLP will violently demonstrate their rejection. The organisation has announced that the protests will continue until the French ambassador is expelled and Rizvi is released. The French embassy in the country has advised its citizens to leave Pakistan as soon as possible in the face of the response from TLP supporters.
