AFTER a violent police crackdown on a so-called movement for human rights for a particular ethnic community in the Khyber district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), a spokesperson for the provincial government justified the action.

Ironically, the same spokesperson just a few days later warned Punjab police against planning any action targeting the opposition party’s protesters who were marching towards D-Chowk in Islamabad.

How strange is it that in his province there was a crackdown against members of a movement, while he demanded that his party be allowed to stage a protest in Islamabad?

Without an iota of doubt, the police raid in KP revealed the provincial ruling party’s hypocrisy regarding democracy and freedom of assembly.

Despite facing crackdowns on its own rallies and protests, the party has used similar tactics in the province it has been ruling for several years. Policing is a provincial subject as every province has its own police force.

In fact, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Act 2017, passed by the provincial asse-mbly, makes things crystal clear in this regard.

Surprisingly, the provincial govern-ment’s silence on the raid is deafening, given the party’s history of condemning crackdowns on its own events. This is nothing but double standards being practised by those claiming to be the champions of human rights and democracy.

Anwar Sayab Khan
Peshawar

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2024