Afghanistan Times
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The twin cities of Pakistan, Rawalpindi and Islamabad, capital have been under siege of religious extremists and terrorists led by Khadim Hussain Rizvi, the leader of Tahreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) since November 6. These religious extremists, armed with sticks and iron rods want strict adherence to the country’s blasphemy laws and stricter laws against other religious sects like Christians, Hindus, Ahmadis and other minority Muslim and non-Muslim communities. In Pakistan, the above mentioned sects have been presented as lesser humans and a threat to the state’s so-called Islamic identity. Similarly, Pashtuns, Baloch, Sindhis and others with the exception of Punjabis have been treated as subjects and slaves from the very beginning. Last week, the Islamabad High Court ordered the federal government to end sit-in by the extremists. However, the government machinery was mom over implementing the court order. Later on, the Supreme Court of Pakistan took a suo moto notice of the situation and asked the government to clarify its position on why the latter has failed to evacuate the twin cities which remain paralyzed. However the dangerous and powerful religious extremist protesters have repeatedly ignored the government and courts warnings and have vowed to confront the state’s powers and writ. Last day at least 8,000 police personnel and other paramilitary forces started crackdown against the approximately 3,000 protesters. Police forced used water cannons, canisters of tear gas and slings. Several were killed and more than 200 people sustained injuries, based on reports. Social and electronic media was completely downed. Besides all it, the government machinery has failed to disperse the protesters. Religious extremists and militants from banned terrorist organizations stormed the home of federal law minister Zahid Hamid in Sialkot district and another lawmaker, Mian Javid Latif from the ruling Muslim League Nawaz party was attacked by religious goons in Sheikhupura district of Punjab. Reacting to the government reaction, religious extremists blocked roads and streets in other parts of Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. The politically powerful military of Pakistan has taken direct and indirect side of the religious protesters. The country’s notorious military, dominated by religious radicals openly rejected the government official and constitutional order to help the government against the protesters. Some prominent analysts in Pakistan said, the script of the protest has been written by the powerful military of the country to pave way for military take-over or technocrat government. Pakistan’s former ambassador to Washington, Hussain Haqqani said, Pakistan has been caught between mosque and military. Keeping in view the pro-terror policies of Pakistan and active presence of more than 50 terrorist and extremist groups and organizations in the country, there is a serious threat to Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. The already unsafe nuclear weapons of the country can be fallen to terrorist and extremist’s hands. The first and last target would be Afghanistan and India. So, the United States and NATO member countries under the umbrella of United Nations must take control over Pakistan’s nuclear weapons to secure humanity in the country’s west and east. Pakistan’s federal interior minister Ahsan Iqbal, said the extremist protesters are very much trained and dangerous people, having strong presence in every corner of the country and even in the government and military institutions. That’s why; there is a serious need to secure nuclear weapons of the country. Otherwise, millions of millions human beings in Pakistan, Afghanistan and India have been standing on the bridge of life and death.
