ISAS Briefs

Pakistan was recently paralysed for several weeks by blockades on a main crossing leading to the capital Islamabad. Trouble started when Pakistan's Law Minister Zahid Hamid purportedly made the omission of the reference to Muhammad being the last Messenger in Islam. Believing that his action was deliberate and was aimed at appeasing the minority Ahmedi sect, the Islamist political party, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, took to the streets. While the blockades have ended, they have left bold imprints on the future of Pakistan's complex politics. The essay seeks to analyse some of the implications of the blockades.