The killing of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer on January 4 in Islamabad and the wide-spread adulation of his killer, a Punjab Police commando, has raised a whole litany of fears and dilemma in, and about, Pakistan.
Arguably, the most worrying aspect of Taseer's untimely death was the manner in which it was received by the masses. Following the death, 50,000 people gathered in the port city of Karachi, Pakistan's most liberal cosmopolitan city, heaped praise on the killer policeman, Mumrtaz Qadri, and demonstrated against changes to the controversial Blasphemy Law. Similar protests by lawyers, hailed as torchbearers of the nascent pro-democratic movement a few years ago, and a vociferous online campaign on Facebook by educated youth have caused concern about the growing penetration of militant ideology across the social spectrum in Pakistan.
Taseer's death could not have come at a worse moment for the PPP-led government. A courageous liberal, Taseer was a senior leader in the party and a confidante of President Asif Ali Zardari. It was a time when the party's two key allies, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F), decided to part ways, reducing the Gilani government to a minority. The MQM said its decision was prompted by the hike in petrol prices. The JUI-F withdrew in protest after one of its ministers was sacked over a corruption scandal involving irregularities in logistics for Hajj pilgrims. Even though Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani soon regained majority after MQM renewed its support, the longevity of the government remains uncertain at best.
For a country often called the epicenter of 'global terrorism', it is a tempting analysis indeed. However, in sharp contrast to the heated condemnation of Taseer, the muted support for his legacy points towards another aspect, but one that profoundly impacts the current understanding of society in Pakistan. No doubt, extremism has found greater purchase in Pakistan in recent years. Militant groups have become more emboldened and are now increasingly networking amongst each other. Furthermore, the growing tide of anti-American sentiment has given these groups a degree of legitimacy among sections of the society.
While this phenomenon is well known, the reaction to Taseer's death also reveals how his detractors have cowed down Pakistanis who do not agree with their interpretation of religion and society, and the extent to which the state has weakened and become incapable to provide the other Pakistan the minimum security to promote Jinnah's ideas of tolerance and respect. In conclusion, while Qadri represents the symptom of Pakistan's dilemma, it is the State's reaction to such coercion that truly represents Pakistan's problem.
Kaustav Chakrabarti is Junior Fellow with Observer Research Foundation
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