Secular candidate hounded by angry mobs
islamabad — It began with a audience members asking parliamentary candidate Jibran Nasir to declare his religion at a public forum, a request he politely refused on the grounds it is irrelevant.
Later, the mobs started showed up. In the past week, three of Nasir’s public meetings in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, have been disrupted by religious hardliners — shouting out and shoving his supporters.
Nasir, a human rights lawyer, is a rare breed in Pakistan: an avowedly secular, progressive candidate in the overwhelmingly Muslim country of 208 million, where most parties appeal to an Islamic vote bank.
His independent candidacy is in stark contrast to the prevailing mood of Pakistan’s campaign, which has seen the rise of new ultra-right religious parties campaigning on protecting the draconian blasphemy laws and denouncing the minority Ahmadi sect.
Liberal and secular-minded Pakistanis say the sheer number of religious party candidates, combined with their ultra-conservative rhetoric, has already shifted the agenda in their direction.
Nasir aims to challenge the prevalent extremist discourse. “Our campaign is bigger than just my win... What it is symbolising for the people is a change in narrative,” he said.
“That challenging extremists is possible ... not using religion to get votes is possible.”
Since launching his campaign, a number of clerics in Karachi have branded Nasir a blasphemer from the pulpit, a dangerous accusation in Pakistan that can lead to the death penalty, and labelled him an Ahmadi, a sect they consider heretics.
On Saturday, a mob of people chanting slogans associated with the new ultra-religious Tehreeke-Labbaik Pakistan party, which campaigns under the “death to blasphemers” rallying cry, descended on his public meeting, crowding around Nasir and intimidating his supporters.
“I believe it’s being done in a very organised manner,” Nasir said.
Labbaik representatives could not be reached for comment.
“Our politics should be free from compromise, fear, and discrimination,” Nasir said.
Nasir gained nationwide prominence in 2014 after staging protests against the Red Mosque, the Islamabad centre of a militant network with links to Pakistani Taleban strongholds in the northwest and in neighbouring Afghanistan.
The mosque was the site of a military standoff in 2007, but within two years its chief cleric was freed from detention and was once again calling for strict Shariah rule across Pakistan.
The mosque campaign earned Nasir a phone call and death threats from a high ranking Taleban commander.
“We are doing it for the millions of Pakistanis ... who right now are forced to choose amongst the lesser of evils, who are willing to embrace different political leaders with all their biases and religious bigotry,” he said.
“Every day I am carrying on with my mission, they are making a fool of themselves.” —
Our campaign is bigger than just my win... What it is symbolising for the people is a change in narrative. That challenging extremists is possible ... not using religion to get votes is possible Jibran Nasir, human rights lawyer
Former premier nawaz Sharif needed a special diet and air conditioning due to a heart condition, but was being denied both Marriyum Aurangzeb, PML-N spokeswoman
I believe it’s being done in a very organised manner. Our politics should be free from compromise, fear, and discrimination
Jibran Nasir, human rights lawyer
I don’t know why they have given these powers, because that will unnecessarily create doubts in the minds of people
Talat Masood, former general and security analyst