Pakistan: Islamists protest towards burning of Quran in Sweden whereas their fellow residents battle over meals

Pakistan’s financial scenario is precarious. It has reached a essential juncture because the Islamic nation grapples with increasing debt, rising power import prices, depleted international reserves, international inflation, political instability, and a protracted decline in GDP progress. Furthermore, the nation’s extreme flour scarcity and electrical energy cuts are exacerbating the scenario.

Some residents, nonetheless, have attention-grabbing priorities. While a whole bunch of fellow residents have been rioting over meals shortages, some have taken to the streets in Lahore to protest the burning of a replica of the Quran by anti-immigrant politician Rasmus Paludan in Stockholm, Sweden.

Journalist Abhijit Majumder shared a snippet on Twitter on January 30, whereby a number of Pakistanis had been seen taking out a rally in Lahore to denounce the latest desecration of the non secular Islamic textual content. As seen within the video, many individuals are perched atop a big trailer whereas a whole bunch extra will be seen on foot. Huge audio system are mounted on the truck, via which chants of ‘Al Jihad’ will be heard. A big police contingent can be seen forming a human chain to guard the protestors.

No meals, no electrical energy, no foreign exchange reserves…the nation is bankrupt.
But 50,000 fanatics got here out in Lahore to protest the burning of Quran in Stockholm.
That is #Pakistan for you. pic.twitter.com/Y1CBDh8zQP

— Abhijit Majumder (@abhijitmajumder) January 29, 2023

These Islamists, based on media experiences, belonged to the extremist group Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). In his assertion to the demonstrators on Friday (January 27), TLP chief Saad Rizvi urged the federal government to lodge a robust protest with Sweden and the Netherlands to make sure that such occurrences are not repeated once more.

Other movies displaying members of the novel Islamist organisation protesting in Lahore over the burning of the Quran in Sweden additionally emerged on social media.

TLP’s protest in Lahore towards the burning of Holy Quran in Sweden , huge crowd of individuals.💖🕋💖🤲💪✌🗡⚔#حافظ_ہومحافظ_بنو pic.twitter.com/bVoiu2VMBS

— ☘💕𝕽𝖚𝖐𝖍𝖘𝖆𝖓𝖆 𝕽𝖎𝖟𝖛𝖎 💕☘ (@Rizvia_n) January 27, 2023

Similar rallies had been additionally held in different elements of Pakistan together with the southern metropolis of Karachi and within the northwest.

Tehreek-e-Labbaik, the once-banned Islamic extremist political celebration in Pakistan

Notably, the Islamic extremist political celebration in Pakistan named Tehreek-e-Labbaik has been concerned in varied violent protests within the latest previous. In reality, final 12 months, the Pakistani radical group had made plans to kill former BJP chief Nupur Sharma for making ‘derogatory’ statements about Prophet Muhammad.

The Islamic organisation had in 2021, organised violent protests in France and elsewhere around the globe in response to cartoons of Prophet Mohammad revealed by the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. The outfit had then demanded the expulsion of France’s ambassador and the discharge of their chief. While protesting towards the Charlie Hebdo cartoon in Lahore, the members of TLP opened hearth on the cops leaving a minimum of 4 Pakistani policemen useless.

This explicit radical outfit was banned till November 2021, when former Prime Minister Imran Khan succumbed to the strain of radical Islamists and gave his permission to raise the ban on the extremist group Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). As a end result, the group was withdrawn from the Fourth Schedule which is the official terrorist watch record of Pakistan.

Notably, the TTP has now established itself as an indeniable energy in Pakistan’s political scene. The extremist organisation even fashioned a parallel authorities within the nation earlier this month.

Food disaster in Pakistan

While members of the extremist group Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) have been creating havoc in Lahore over the burning of a replica of the Quran in Sweden, it could be recalled how a whole bunch of Pakistanis have been baying for one another’s blood amid a extreme meals disaster within the nation. While on one hand, the federal government provide of subsidised wheat has practically stopped altogether, the costs of different necessities have skyrocketed on the opposite. Stores and grocery outlets have run out of kitchen staples. The scarcity of wheat flour has led to a rise within the costs of bread and bakery objects too. 

The scenario in a number of cities of Pakistan is so grave that flour is being rationed and guarded by armed guards. Prices of flour and wheat have witnessed a dramatic surge. 

Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan are among the many worst victims as tens of hundreds spend hours every day to get the backed luggage of flour which are already brief in provide available in the market.

Incidents of clashes and stampedes have been reported in markets in lots of areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan. The scenario is so dire that flour-loaded mini vehicles and vans are escorted by armed guards to keep away from clashes. As these autos attain the markets, folks collect round these autos and begin preventing with one another and snatching sacks of flour and wheat from the authorities and one another.

Prices of wheat and flour have surged dramatically in latest months. Flour in Karachi is being offered from Rs 140 per kilogram to Rs 160 per kilogram. In Islamabad and Peshawar, a ten kg bag of flour is being offered at Rs 1,500 per kilogram whereas a 20-kilogram bag of flour is being offered at Rs 2,800. Mill homeowners in Punjab province have elevated the value of flour to Rs 160 per kilogram.