It’s been 15 days since the sit-in by two religious groups, Tahreek-e-Labiyak Pakistan and Sunni Tahreek. The Capital has been practically paralyzed by their protest. The mainstream media kept a blackout about the sit-in until now when they started giving a little coverage to the fulmination. The religious extremism is one of the biggest problems of Pakistan and is considered a very sensitive topic to talk about. The group is known for employing incendiary language to muster political support. Its leaders have been accused of hurling abuses at ex-army chief General Raheel Sharif and ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a demonstration in March last year in front of the parliament house. The leader of the group, Khadim Hussain Rizvi may be considered a demagogue by many liberals but for his supporters he is a charismatic leader. The group was established more than a year ago. Rizvi, originally from Rawalpindi district, is based in Lahore. He openly defends Qadri and is known for spreading religious hatred against minorities. He even hurled abuses at Abdus Sattar Edhi, accusing him of “taking care of illegitimate children”. The Pakistani news channels media blackout of extremist grp rally headed to Islamabad is criminal. Don’t glorify them but black-out is censorship. Media needs to expose such groups not bury head in sand and call it responsible journalism
