EDITORIAL: The recent spate of mob attacks on Western fast-food outlets in a number of cities, including Karachi, Lahore, Mirpurkhas and Larkana, portends a dangerous trend that must immediately be nipped in the bud before it spirals out of control and sets a perilous precedent for public disorder.
Enraged over Israel’s war on Gaza and perceiving associations between these franchises and Israeli interests, protesters have smashed windows, looted and vandalised property, besides even attempting to set one restaurant on fire.
While FIRs have been filed, with around 18 arrests being made, including those of TLP activists, authorities must ensure swift justice and preventive measures to deter further outbreaks of such lawlessness.
The heartrending reports and images emerging out of Gaza – of civilian casualties, devastated neighbourhoods and desperate humanitarian conditions – have rightly driven global outrage, and the inability of Muslim countries in particular to stop the carnage has understandably generated profound anger and despair among Muslim populations.
However, it goes without saying that mindless violence is no way to express solidarity with the Palestinian cause, nor does it achieve any productive purpose. This was also pointed out by leading religious scholars at a conference held in Islamabad, where it was declared that any boycott or protest must not descend into violence or vandalism.
While boycotting companies with Israeli ties constitutes a valid form of protest, destroying property and endangering lives crosses a critical line. Indeed, the peaceful boycott movements that have gained global traction in response to the Middle East conflict demonstrate how genuine solidarity requires discipline and moral consistency, not destructive outbursts.
It is also worth observing that the deep-rooted presence of Western fast-food franchises in Pakistan makes them an integral part of the country’s economic landscape – directly employing tens of thousands of Pakistanis, indirectly employing many more by sustaining local supply chains, generating substantial tax revenues and serving as training grounds for the country’s hospitality sector.
Their reckless targeting jeopardises tens of thousands of jobs while eroding business confidence, a dangerous combination that may scare away crucial domestic and foreign capital when Pakistan needs it most.
Religious extremism descending into violence and terrorism is not a new phenomenon in this country. Pakistan is already grappling with a resurgence of militant attacks in recent months, with significant security challenges arising from cross-border terrorism – particularly from the TTP’s entrenched sanctuaries in Afghanistan – and as pointed out by the Foreign Office spokesperson on April 11, this remains a major roadblock to improving relations with our western neighbour.
The deteriorating security situation makes the containment of home-grown extremist violence all the more urgent, as any rise in mob attacks risks further destabilising an already volatile environment and potentially creating conditions that organised terrorist elements may find easy to exploit.
It is pertinent to note that one of the reasons religious extremism has thrived in Pakistan is due to systemic intolerance – both in our social spaces and within official circles. This has repeatedly empowered radical elements to violate the rule of law, the writ of the state, and the lives, properties and livelihoods of fellow citizens.
The continued tolerance for the likes of the TLP, while peaceful protest is suppressed simultaneously, exposes a dangerous paradox in Pakistan’s counter-extremism policy – one that ends up rewarding violence while punishing democratic expression, thereby radicalising the political space and undermining the state’s own authority.
While these incidents of mob violence have only been limited to a few restaurants so far, it is imperative to recognise them as a warning sign. Without a decisive action to curb extremism, such incidents risk escalating into wider unrest, further eroding social cohesion and economic stability.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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