LAHORE: Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) Chairman Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi has questioned the recurring cycle of street protests that, he says, led to deaths among both security personnel and civilians.

Speaking at a ceremony here on Sunday, he said: “Why a couple of police officials and as many citizens are killed during street protests every six months in the country.”

Referring to the recent protest by Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan, he said efforts were made till the last moment to resolve the issue but regretted that `some elements thwarted all these attempts’ at a time when the country was at war with Afghanistan.

He said soon after Pakistan won war against the eastern neighbour India, deliberate attempts were made first to worsen the situation in Azad Kashmir, then in Gilgit-Baltistan and then in Punjab.

He said the state must protect citizens’ right to protest while ensuring law and order, and warned against allowing extremist elements to hijack legitimate grievances.

Ashrafi also commented on regional relations, describing Afghanistan as a `brother’ and recalling agreements that pledged neither country’s soil be used against the other.

On the question of national ownership, he stressed that Pakistan belonged to its 250 million people, not to any single bureaucrat, judge or cleric, and that the country must pursue `rule of law’ to attract foreign investment and ensure stability.

Ashrafi urged all stakeholders to work together to steer the country away from polarisation.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2025