In a wide-ranging conversation on the New Wave History podcast, historian Dr Tahir Kamran, head of the Liberal Arts Department at Beaconhouse National University and author of the 2024 book Chequered Past, offered a detailed assessment of Pakistan’s religious politics, the evolution of the Barelvi movement, and the rise and decline of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
Reflecting on a 2019 discussion at ThinkFest, Dr Kamran revisited his earlier prediction that TLP would not sustain itself as a potent political force. He argued that while the party gained visibility in the late 2010s through large street protests and confrontational tactics, its rise was never organic. Instead, he said, it was largely the product of Pakistan’s “power that be”, non-political state actors who sought, at various points, to use the party for political leverage.
Dr Kamran emphasised that Barelvi ideology, historically rooted in shrine culture and notions of harmony, does not naturally align with the politics of agitation. He traced the shift towards puritanical and literalist religious expression to broader transformations in South Asian Islam since the late nineteenth century. This shift, he said, enabled groups such as Majlis-e-Ahrar and later TLP to adopt a more confrontational style.
Discussing TLP’s recent decline in public visibility, Dr Kamran noted that once state actors withdrew support, the party’s influence quickly receded. He highlighted how even Barelvi mosques have become cautious about associating with the group. Despite its ability to draw crowds and its appeal among sections of the urban lower and lower-middle classes, he maintained that TLP lacked an intellectual foundation and relied primarily on slogans and emotional mobilisation.
The historian stressed that Pakistan’s recurring cycle of religious agitation stems from decades of interference in politics by non-political institutions. Organic political development, he argued, has long been undermined, from the suppression of the National Awami Party to the co-option of religious groups by successive governments and military regimes. Until Pakistan allows its political culture to develop independently, Dr Kamran warned, the country will continue to witness artificial political forces shaping public life.