The recent TLP unrest in Lahore and the fortification of Islamabad cannot be viewed in isolation; it is part of a recurring pattern in Pakistan where extremist street groups are leveraged by the military to influence political outcomes. The Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), while ostensibly a religious movement, functions effectively as a proxy force for the army, capable of coercing civilian governments through mass mobilization and violent demonstrations. This arrangement allows the military to maintain strategic control over the country without directly intervening in day-to-day governance, while ensuring that any civilian administration is wary of challenging its preferences.
Historically, the TLP has shown an uncanny ability to disrupt national life. From the 2017 Faizabad sit-in to the 2021 protests over blasphemous caricatures in France, the group has repeatedly demonstrated its capacity to paralyze cities, provoke violent confrontations with law enforcement, and extract political concessions. The lifting of its ban and the release of its leader Saad Rizvi during Imran Khan’s tenure illustrate how civilian governments have been forced into compromises under duress, often at the behest of military mediation.
The Army’s role in brokering deals with the TLP has been consistent. Video evidence from previous protests shows military officials providing incentives to TLP supporters to de-escalate unrest, signaling a tacit endorsement of the group’s coercive tactics. Analysts argue that these patterns of patronage have allowed the TLP to wield influence far beyond its electoral footprint, effectively embedding the group into the political and social fabric of Pakistan.
Beyond its political utility, the TLP has perfected the weaponization of religious sentiment. By framing issues around the ‘Finality of Prophethood’ and the defense of Islam, the group has mobilized mass support, creating moral legitimacy for its street-level activism. This exploitation of faith, combined with the military’s backing, ensures that the TLP remains a potent force capable of shaping policy, intimidating civilian leadership, and influencing election outcomes, as seen in its role during the 2018 polls to undermine the PML-N.
While the TLP does not operate as an armed insurgency like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, its impact on governance and civil order is profound. Analysts warn that the military-mullah nexus, exemplified by the TLP, sets a dangerous precedent, nudging Pakistan further toward theocratic tendencies. The group’s repeated ability to “hold Pakistan hostage” highlights the fragility of civilian institutions and underscores the broader challenge of curbing extremist influence without military complicity.
Human rights observers argue that the current chaos is the predictable result of decades of militarized religiosity. Pakistan’s hybrid military-civilian system, where street power is weaponized to enforce strategic priorities, has allowed groups like the TLP to grow unchecked. The recent protests in Lahore and the lockdown of Islamabad are thus not anomalies but manifestations of an entrenched pattern in which extremist religious groups are leveraged to maintain control and intimidate dissenting civilian authorities.
