THE Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) on Friday called off its sit-in at Faizabad after the government assured it of ramping up efforts to help Palestinians, who have been facing Israeli atrocities since the clash began in October last year. The TLP, in their demands, asked the government to officially boycott Israeli products and send food and medical aid to Palestinians, especially those suffering from Israel’s relentless military aggression in Gaza. One of their demands was that Pakistan’s government declare Israeli PM Netanyahu a “terrorist.”
No one would disagree with the cause the TLP championed as our Palestinian brothers and sisters are suffering hugely at the hands of state-sponsored terrorism by the Jewish state during the last ten months. The civilized world has consistently been demanding an immediate halt to Israeli atrocities but all such calls are falling on deaf ears. Therefore, TLP deserves appreciation for bringing to focus, once again, the plight of distressed Palestinians. However, the modus operandi used for the purpose was questionable as rallies and sit-ins on busy roads and crossings create immeasurable difficulties for the general public. Faizabad is the lifeline of Islamabad-Rawalpindi and the sit-in disrupted normal flow of traffic and as a result commuters were made to spend additional hours to reach their destinations. In this backdrop, the Government has done well by holding successful dialogue with the leadership of the TLP and as a result the agonies of travellers have come to an end. As for demands of the TLP, the Government was already proactive as far as provision of humanitarian assistance and political/diplomatic support for the cause of Palestinians are concerned and now it has committed to send another consignment of aid to Palestine before July 31. The demand for boycott of Israeli products was also legitimate but it has been observed that the plea has been misused by rival businesses to inflict harm on those who have made substantial investment in Pakistan. While hailing the agreement between the Government and the TLP, we would suggest that there should be zero tolerance for processions and sit-ins that disturb normal life.
