Advertisement
Pakistan
CommentAsia
Adnan Aamir
Adnan Aamir

Opinion | Religious fundamentalism weakens Pakistan’s bargaining power with China

  • Adnan Aamir says the anti-blasphemy protests highlight the need for the government to end its policy of appeasement and tackle Islamic radicalism
  • The unrest, stark against the backdrop of Imran Khan’s visit to China, will only complicate Pakistan’s bid to escape an economic crisis

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
0
Supporters of the radical Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party rally against the Pakistan Supreme Court’s acquittal of Asia Bibi, at a rally in Lahore last Friday, one of a number of protests that paralysed major cities. Photo: AP
Adnan Aamir
While Pakistan’s prime minister, Imran Khan, was on his first official visit to China, major cities in Pakistan were at a standstill due to anti-blasphemy protests by supporters of religious fundamentalists.

Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and economic capital, was paralysed as roads were blocked at more than 30 spots. In the capital, Islamabad, violent protesters set fire to cars and trucks. There was a complete media blackout of the protests and cell phone services were suspended in major cities. For several days, chaos and uncertainty reigned across the country’s major urban centres.

The unrest erupted on October 31 when Pakistan’s Supreme Court acquitted Asia Bibi in a blasphemy case. Bibi, a 47-year-old Christian woman, was convicted by a lower court in 2010 for insulting the Prophet Mohammed – under a law that prohibits blasphemy of Islam and its principles – and put on death row. She had always pleaded her innocence and claimed the charges were made up. Last Wednesday, Pakistan’s top judges declared her innocent and ordered her release.

As soon as the verdict was announced, supporters of the political party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) led violent protests across the country. TLP was founded in 2015 primarily on a platform of upholding the blasphemy law and punishing anyone who commits blasphemy against Islam.

The situation is alarming even by standards in Pakistan, which has more than its fare share of violence and chaos. Not only has the TLP paralysed life in major cities, it also verbally attacked Pakistan’s powerful military. A TLP leader, Afzal Qadri, openly instigated the army’s “real Muslim” generals to revolt against their commander-in-chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa. This was unprecedented.

Advertisement