Double defeat for Imran Khan: 'Surrenders' to all-powerful army, 'appeases' banned religious organisation TLP

The undisclosed agreement with the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and the appointment of the army's intelligence chief (ISI) has served as a double defeat for Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The credibility of the Imran Khan government has hit a rock bottom after signing (October 31) agreement with TLP whose activists thronged the streets, causing casualties and his favoured Lt Gen Faiz Hameed for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief was transferred by the army to another post, said a policy research group POREG.

Both developments are being widely viewed as 'surrender' to and 'appeasement' of the religious extremists as well as the all-powerful military.

All civilian governments in Pakistan depend almost entirely on the goodwill of the army, as also the ability to keep the influential religious conservatives on the right side, wrote POREG.

While the army expectedly stayed in the background, the Pakistan government said the details of the pact would be announced: "at an appropriate time."

The government's performance was in sharp contrast with the tough talk by its ministers and in particular, the National Security Advisor, Moeed Yusuf, who threatened tough measures against the TLP that he said, had crossed the "red line" and had 'exhausted' the government's patience, reported POREG.

Opposition parties stayed away from the TLP street show which was clearly an unruly agitation. They said the Imran government was 'soft' towards the religious extremists.

Members of the civil society, media and other sections have roundly condemned the government for what they see as 'capitulation'.

Among them was the legal adviser for the International Commission of Jurists, Reema Omer, who termed the deal as "unfortunate" and "hardly surprising".

She said nothing about the government's press conference to announce the agreement reached with the TLP "inspired confidence, least of all the 'secret agreement'".

The impasse with the TLP was resolved after the Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa met an influential cleric, Mufti Muneebur Rehman, who played the mediator. Put simply, the army helped manage the crisis, reported POREG.

All governments in Pakistan in the last four decades have nurtured 'good' Islamist groups as state 'assets' while fighting those going out of control. The 'assets' are used to cause trouble in neighbouring India, Afghanistan and Iran. Some of the groups reach a secret understanding with mainstream parties and campaign for them during elections.

Analysts say that the less-known TLP that belongs to the Barelvi sect of Islam has taken to agitation and violence to be counted after being ignored by the government that deals with the Islamists of the Deobandi sect to which the Al Qaida leaders also belong.

Pointing to the role the Pakistani state has played, security analyst Muhammed Ameer Rana wrote in Pakistani Newspaper Dawn, "If we go deeper, we can see the TLP is an anti-Al Qaeda and anti-TTP project gone wrong. One might have thought within the establishment about their political utility much in the same way that they used militant and religious groups in the past. But the TLP proved a costly project, which has brought more embarrassment and harm than advantages."

No surprise militant groups in Pakistan regularly go out of control and challenge their creators and benefactors!

( With inputs from ANI )

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