THE state has initiated another crackdown against the leadership of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) after the group incited violence against Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa. The government’s strong response was necessary in this situation. It remains to be seen how effective it will be and whether the government remains firm in its decision.

The TLP’s threats to the judiciary are not new; neither has it spared the top military brass in the past in its hatemongering. One of its founders, Pir Afzal Qadri, had threatened the judges of the Supreme Court and incited soldiers to stand against generals if Aasia Bibi (accused of blasphemy but later acquitted) was not hanged publicly. He made this statement in the presence of Khadim Rizvi, the co-founder of the group, in 2018. Rizvi had used similarly strong language against the judiciary and military leadership, besides igniting religious bigotry.

The state institutions acted swiftly after the TLP leadership’s statements became louder. The group’s top leadership, including Rizvi and Qadri and thousands of its workers, were arrested. Later, Qadri backtracked from his statements and quit the TLP. Hundreds of TLP workers issued disclaimers and disassociated themselves from the group. It looked like the state had decided to crush the TLP completely.

Just a few months later, Rizvi was granted bail by the Lahore High Court and released from jail. He did not take a break and restarted his hate campaign. He secured over two million votes in the 2018 elections. Many political analysts had linked his........

© Dawn