Islamabad sit-in: Pakistan has no hope of a state that can enforce its writ

In a surrender like no other, the state of Pakistan has made one mistake after another and shown that the mullah brigade can get away with anything and everything

The Pakistan government recently bought peace with hardline religious groups staging sit-ins at Islamabad’s Faizabad and paralysing life in the city, as well as neighbouring Rawalpindi, with Law Minister Zahid Hamid offering his resignation. This utter surrender of the state managed to end the protests that saw six people being killed and hundreds injured but also raised several questions. With the sit-in also ended all hopes of a state that could enforce its writ, writes Lahore-based journalist Mehmal Sarfraz in this Business Standard Special piece. What is worse, she says, is that almost all of Pakistan’s institutions and politicians failed