THE Islamabad police and the district administration displayed a humiliating failure on Sunday. The enraged Qadri sympathisers went on the rampage burning metro stations and public property with impunity. The incident was a consequence of capitulation to the forces of extremism.

Religious leaders inflaming the passions of the illiterate populace need to be confronted boldly instead of being mollycoddled. As a result, extremists descended upon Rawalpindi-Islamabad without any resistance and blocked the Islamabad Highway and Murree Road.

The administration of the twin cities rather colluded with these violent protesters to put ordinary commuters at their mercy. Why were these marauders allowed to pillage and burn at will in the so-called sacrosanct ‘Red Zone’ of the national capital? When and where will this pro-Qadri appeasement end?

Brig (r) Raashid Wali Janjua
Rawalpindi

Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2016