IN the present politically charged atmosphere, the assassination of a prominent Deobandi scholar threatens to exacerbate communal tensions. Saturday’s attack on Maulana Adil Khan, chief of Jamia Farooqi, and his driver, in Karachi has elicited strong condemnation from several quarters including Prime Minister Imran Khan and COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa; they have held “Pakistan’s enemies” responsible for trying to foment sectarian violence here. Messages from other religious leaders and bodies, including Mufti Taqi Usmani who narrowly escaped an assassination attempt last year, also termed the incident an attack on national security. In the light of recent events in the country, such statements are warnings of the grimmer tragedy that lies ahead if sectarian sentiment is allowed to gain ground. There are several reasons — but primarily stemming from within our borders — behind this deepening sectarian divide. For instance, in Muharram, on account of debatable remarks made from the pulpit, blasphemy cases were registered against some 40 members of the Shia community. A few weeks later, three back-to-back Azmat-i-Sahaba rallies were held in Karachi by Deobandi, Barelvi and Ahle Hadith groups, in which members of banned sectarian groups also participated. Another rally was held in Islamabad after which a leader of the banned ASWJ was booked by the police for hate speech.

Meanwhile, Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani asserted that an old Supreme Court order of former chief justice Saqib Nisar had prevented the provincial government from providing security to the slain cleric. Such a lame excuse cannot be accepted; it is the province’s responsibility to ensure security for its inhabitants, including those in high-profile positions that can leave them vulnerable to attack. However, the challenge extends far beyond the provision of guards and bulletproof vehicles. For years, extremist groups have been used by the state as ‘strategic assets’. These ‘assets’ have turned into liabilities for the country. Unless the government takes bold and decisive action against all militant groups, intolerance and tit-for-tat killings will continue to take innocent lives.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2020