Islamabad, Oct 15 The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed grave concern over the recent violent clashes between the Pakistani security forces and the radical Islamist group Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in Muridke, Punjab province, which resulted in multiple deaths and injuries among protesters and police personnel.
According to the rights body, the violence followed days of unrest that began on October 8, culminating in an operation in the early hours of October 13.
The remarks came after four people, including police and civilians, were killed and 56 others injured in Muridke on Monday during violent clashes linked to the TLP’s long march.
The violence left 48 police and rangers personnel injured, 17 of them from gunfire. Additionally, three TLP supporters and one passerby lost their lives, while eight other civilians sustained injuries, Pakistani daily The Express Tribune reported.
The HRCP raised alarm over the lack of transparency and credible, independent information surrounding the operation, which it said was the Pakistani government's responsibility to provide.
“While state authorities have neglected to address the TLP’s consistent role in promoting hate speech and inciting mob violence against individuals and groups, particularly religious minorities, this does not justify the alleged use of excessive force,” read a statement issued by the HRCP.
“Both the Constitution as well as international law mandate that security forces, even when dispersing violent assemblies, use the minimum necessary force. The government must ensure that criminal acts are investigated promptly and the perpetrators duly prosecuted,” the statement added.
The HRCP asserted that the time has come for the Pakistani government to commit to creating an “inclusive and plural society,” which warrants an “honest and transparent shift” in policy as well as long-overdue structural reforms.
“Only then can we hope to resolve the deeper malaise of extremist religious violence,” the rights body stated.
The TLP, a group infamous for its radical character and demeanour, also drew intense criticism on social media as the netizens slammed it for orchestrating and staging violence on the streets despite a peace deal in the works between Israel and Palestine.
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