Impunity For Religiously-Charged Mobs Is Now An Old Problem For Pakistan

By: Agha Haider Raza

The riled-up mob was chanting. They wanted to avenge themselves on him, they wanted him to come outside. Locked up in a room for protection, he prayed for his life as the angel of death descended from above. The violent mob overpowered the few trying to protect the unprotected. He was eventually dragged outside, pelted with stones and torched to death.

27 years ago, Sajjad Farooq was murdered by this barbaric mob in Gujranwala, an industrial city in Pakistan. This storyline may seem familiar. Last week, in Sialkot, Pakistan, Priyantha Kumara was also dragged outside, pelted with stones and set ablaze. Both men were accused of blasphemy. Neither was charged or investigated for any crime. They were just brutally lynched.

To Use or Not to Use Religion

By: Agha Haider Raza

With the first ever democratically elected Parliament nearly passing the baton to another parliament via general elections in the midst of our reach, we may just be witnessing history.  History is in the making because over the 66-year roller coaster ride, Pakistan has never observed such a transition.  Numerous military interventions, lack of assertive civilian leadership along with the involvement of non-state and foreign actors has made Pakistan suffer deeply.

A Deadly Silence

By: Agha Haider Raza

When Salmaan Taseer was assassinated eight weeks ago, I quoted Max Weber in my article: “If the power of violence shifts from the state to the people, we also see a shift from a state to anarchy”.  Weber’s paradigm of anarchy is becoming more evident in Pakistan as time progresses.  The brutal murder of Shahbaz Bhatti in Islamabad has solidified the notion that the PPP led government is ignoring extremism.  This perturbed ideology is challenging the writ of the State and if not handled with the delicacy and precision required, we will surely dissolve into a state of oblivion.