THERE is political inanity and there is dangerous propaganda — and what the Senate witnessed on Friday was the latter.

Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi has told the Senate that not only have the leaders of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan denied that the violent protesters of last week belonged to the group but that the PTI government believes they were actually activists of mainstream political opposition parties. The minister of state presented no evidence in support of his astonishing accusation against the parliamentary opposition.

Indeed, it is not even clear why TLP leaders are being consulted on who among the violent protesters belong to the party. Surely, the political or militant affiliation of violent protesters ought to be determined by law-enforcement authorities and state investigators rather than TLP leaders who have a clear incentive in disowning the protesters to avoid shouldering blame for the unacceptable events of last week.

Mr Afridi’s absurd claims before the Senate suggest that the government has completely reversed course from Prime Minister Imran Khan’s televised address of Oct 31. If true, that would be a very unfortunate turn of events.

While it remains unclear what the PTI’s strategy to deal with the unacceptable threat posed by the TLP and its leadership is, it is quite evident what ought to be done.

The TLP as currently constituted has no right to exist within the constitutional and democratic framework of the country.

Take a look: How TLP got the attention of the state

Beginning with revoking its status as a registered political party, the senior leadership of the group should be charged and tried for a range of offences — from instigating violence to damaging property to fomenting insurrection.

The lawful instruments to charge and punish the TLP leadership already exist and failure to use them will surely embolden the organisation.

The mobs that took to the streets last week did not do so spontaneously and of their own accord. Not only were the protests encouraged by the TLP leadership, arguably the violence itself was instigated by them.

In all circumstances, the violent protesters and mob participants should also be prosecuted by the state — there is no justification whatsoever for damaging property and threatening citizens. But to deny the role of the TLP leadership in the violent protests is dangerously misguided policy.

What is also troubling about Mr Afridi’s claims in the Senate on Thursday is the implications for the government’s counter-extremism agenda.

While the government has claimed it intends to reinvigorate the National Action Plan, the latter’s counter-extremism component will require the national leadership drawn from mainstream politics to work together.

But Mr Afridi’s gratuitous and incendiary remarks suggest that the PTI is confused about who the enemy is. The enemies of peace, prosperity and the rule of law were on a rampage in the streets of the country last week.

The PTI must urgently reconsider the dangerous political brinkmanship it is engaging in.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2018