What happened in Pakistan during the last week makes it starkly clear that the state has sunk to a low ebb of vulnerability. Its writ was egregiously ravaged by the TLP diehards. The police were battered, properties destroyed and road blocked; every caution regarding the coronavirus was consigned to the wind.

Having been shown such insolence, how can the state redefine itself in the foreseeable future? And the insanity was let loose with the all-important FATF meeting only about a month away.

Saad Hussain Rizvi, the TLP chief, a 26 years old lad whose credentials are not widely known other than his status of being Khadim Rizvi’s son, is accused of having orchestrated the catastrophe, not knowing the deleterious impact it will have on Pakistan. Ironically, the only way of doing politics that Mr Rizvi has been tutored in is staging dharna and hurling diatribes against those he does take fancy to.

The only politics most religio-political parties do is the politics of protest. This began with Majlis-i-Ahrar during pre-partition days. The TLP, despite the denominational differnce, is Ahrar’s legatee in the orientation of their politics. Young Rizvi has been exposed to this politics, which is perilous for Pakistan and democracy.

Other than that, extraordinarily little is in the public domain about Rizvi’s education and his political vision regarding Pakistan in general. But one thing is sure that he is completely unaware of the repercussions that the expelling of the French ambassador from Pakistan would entail, the insurmountable disaster the isolation would cause on this hapless country if Mr Rizvi is obdurate in pursuance of his goal.

The exigencies of international relations make the framing of foreign policy of a nation state an extremely delicate art. It’s a specialised field such a juvenile is unlikely to have any inkling to. Possibly he and his acolytes are not even bothered about what good or bad befalls Pakistan. Any conception of a stable polity, sane society and safe home are beyond their comprehension. These children, who are yet to cut their teeth in the art of politics, take this country for granted.

The situation becomes precarious when they have a slogan of Namoos-i-Risalat as a mobilising tool. Even more dangerous is their audacity in denouncing people as kafir. This makes Pakistan a dangerous place unless the TLP and its leadership are reined in. Branding anybody a heretic has become dangerously common.

When state loses its monopoly over violence, police and rangers are mauled as we saw the other day. Then anarchy awaits next door. Dyed in the wool, TLP operatives have made it abundantly clear that the state cannot match them or counter them in triggering violence and spreading it to the length and breadth of the country.

Obviously, countering violence and defusing it is far more daunting a task than igniting it. The state has lost monopoly over violence and that is the only way any state can exercise its writ. It is heart-rending to see the state so enfeebled.

TLP operatives have made it abundantly clear that state cannot match them or counter them in triggering violence and spreading it to the length and breadth of the country.

A majority of traditional politicians don’t seem to be caring whether the state is up against any existential crisis or not. They don’t give a fig about the sanctity of state institutions and yet claim to be the champions of democracy.

After seeing level of debate in the National Assembly, one can only pray that things change for the better. There is no hope otherwise. Why has the process of accountability ground to a halt? Why can those who earned international notoriety for corruption, not be held accountable?

Whenever a state collapses, disorder and anarchy ensue. A politically polarised and religiously divided polity can be ripe for a civil war. When politics is played out in the name of religion then it ceases to be the art of the possible; it becomes an article of faith. Political dissension and disagreement create an ugly situation.

In such a scenario, dissent is no longer tolerated; passions supersede reason. Political maturity demands striking an equilibrium between passion and instinct on one hand and rationality on the other. In every move that is made and every decision that is taken, these three elements must be deployed in equal measure.

Extreme passion breeds fanaticism and mere rationality begets a mechanistic streak among people, which is devoid of human impulse. Instinct on its own engenders greed and avarice. Therefore, state and society are run for the benefit of the optimum number of people, only when passion and rationality, punctuated with human instinct, are embraced while making any political move. Non-violence and mutual engagement through dialogue are given currency. These are the tools that can enable us to resolve all sorts of issues, however intractable they may be. This will involve serious deliberation and engagement of the intelligentsia in the political process. It would seem ridiculous to suggest that every party should be made legally required to have a political wing, an economic wing and a wing dealing with foreign relations. Such wings are run by serious academics or experts in their respective fields.

At least the likes of Imran Shah from Sahiwal will then get to know that even if his property is sold the loan Pakistan has incurred from Paris Club cannot be retired. Politics without giving any consideration to the interests of the country can aggravate the situation. Politicians and their supporters in the media houses must realise that states and their citizens lead a meaningful life only when they exist along with the comity of nations.

Isolation is a death knell for states and their people alike. We must not follow a path that leads to exclusion — international, national or individual. That is the curse that we should steer clear of. Someone will have to tell this to the TLP leaders. How they will do this, I don’t have a clue.

The writer is Professor in the faculty of Liberal Arts at the

Beaconhouse National University, Lahore