Mon Dec 16 09:10:57 UTC 2024: **Pakistan’s Violent Crackdown on Protests: A Cycle of Repression**
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s history is marred by a pattern of violent crackdowns on dissent, a cycle of repression that continues to fuel extremism and instability, according to a recent analysis. The author, a political science graduate of the International Islamic University Islamabad, argues that the government’s response to protests, particularly the recent actions against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters, mirrors a long-standing strategy of labeling dissenters as “traitors” and attributing unrest to “foreign conspiracies.”
This approach, the author contends, ignores the underlying grievances that drive people to take to the streets – feelings of marginalization, deprivation, and discrimination. Instead of addressing these issues, the state resorts to heavy-handed tactics, reminiscent of a “Machiavellian” or “Hobbesian state,” employing violence that breeds further resentment and fuels the rise of extremist groups.
The author cites numerous examples, from the 1971 Bengali protests to the current situation with PTI supporters, highlighting the consistent failure to learn from past mistakes. The brutal crackdown on unarmed protesters, including alleged instances of extrajudicial killings and the concealment of bodies, is condemned as a horrific violation of human rights.
The rise of groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) are presented as direct consequences of the state’s violent approach, demonstrating how suppressing dissent through force only intensifies anti-state sentiment and leads to armed resistance. The author warns that this pattern mirrors the failures of interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, where violent responses to extremism ultimately exacerbated the problem.
The piece concludes by emphasizing the need for a fundamental shift in approach. The author argues that dialogue and negotiation, not violence, are the only paths to lasting peace and stability in Pakistan. The author stresses that ignoring the root causes of unrest and resorting to violence is a self-defeating strategy that only leads to more violence and extremism.
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