Daily Times

Now that some sort of deal has taken place between the government and TLP (Tehreek e Labbaik Pakistan), ordinary Pakistanis can, at last, breathe a sigh of relief because at the very least, roads will reopen, the economy will run again, and nobody will be burning cars and firing live rounds on policemen on the streets. This was one round of protests that did not make any sense at all since all concerned parties were-and are-on the same page as far as TLP’s core point is concerned because all Muslims revere and respect Holy Prophet (PBUH) above everyone and everything else. And while the details of the deal are still missing, which is highly irregular, it is assumed that the religious party in question will no longer be allowed to hinder the daily lives of the common folk. All that remains is to bring the fine points of the deal out into the open so everybody where everybody stands, and just what to expect in the future.

There is, however, the matter of the policemen injured and killed during the recent protests. Here are seven precious lives lost, also Muslims that deserve the same respect as others, and breadwinners for their families, who were gunned down so mercilessly just because they were doing their job. What, if anything, does the deal say about them? Or are we, and their families, supposed to forgive and forget just because the government was under pressure and needed a deal to get the protestor off the streets? Therefore, the sooner such details come out, the better because there are definitely more parties to take care of in this case than the government and the TLP.

There is also the little matter of how Mufti Muneeb, who was part of the talks, first indicated that the negotiations were born out of necessity and, hence, did not signify victory or loss for either party. Yet, he also went on to congratulate the TLP crowd and called it “your victory.” Then, as if just for good measure, he also advised them to stay united and stand ready to pour out onto the streets again if the deal was violated. That didn’t leave too many people feeling too comfortable about what the future might hold, just to be sure, so it is now the government’s responsibility to remove the shroud of mystery from this affair; and do it quickly. *