London [United Kingdom] October 10 Amid escalating religious extremism, governance failures, and growing unrest across its provinces, Pakistan appears to be entering one of the most turbulent phases in its history, as highlighted by Human Rights Defender and Executive Director of the Asian Human Rights Forum, Arif Aajakia and Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) activist and political analyst Amjad Ayub Mirza.
On the latest conflict between the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and state authorities, Arif Aajakia claimed that "the TLP, like other militant outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, was created by the Pakistan Army to manipulate domestic politics."
He added that Pakistan has often "activated and deactivated" such groups to maintain political control, while their extremist actions abroad, particularly anti-France protests, have drawn sharp rebukes from the European Union.
He also noted that widespread protests against inflation and resource exploitation have exposed Pakistan's declining control. "For decades, Pakistan fooled Kashmiris in the name of Islam, but now they see India's Jammu and Kashmir developing rapidly while PoJK remains deprived of basic amenities," he stated.
He accused Pakistan of denying genuine autonomy to the region.
Amjad Ayub Mirza has sharply criticised Pakistan's deteriorating internal situation, calling the violent clashes between Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and Punjab Police in Lahore a reflection of the country's self-inflicted instability.
Mirza said the unrest exposed the deep crisis within Pakistan's political and religious systems.
He asserted that Pakistan is now facing the consequences of its long-standing policy of fostering extremist organisations for political and regional influence.
"For decades, Pakistan has empowered religious outfits like TLP to serve its domestic political goals and to export extremism beyond its borders, first in India and later in Afghanistan," he said. "Now, those very elements are turning against the state itself."
He accused Pakistan's military establishment of using religion as an instrument of control, a move that has eroded tolerance and empowered hardline groups.
"The state's manipulation of faith for political power has created a society trapped in hatred and violence," Mirza remarked. He added that the government's inability to contain such forces shows its loss of legitimacy and authority.
Urging global attention, Mirza stated that the situation in Lahore is a symptom of a deeper collapse within Pakistan's governance structure. "The chaos we see today is the inevitable outcome of decades of weaponising religion," he said. "Pakistan is now imploding under the weight of its own contradictions."
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