Once more, the gauntlet has been thrown to the government. Once more, the opponent stands proudly proclaiming their crimes. Can the government exercise its authority and establish the rule of law?

In Madyan, just like in Sialkot, the instigators and perpetrators of the lynching are easy to identify—they own up to their actions and proclaim they are right to do so. In both cases, members of the hardline Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) were behind the mob. This is not surprising; an extremist view on blasphemy is the foundation of this religious party. Despite this being at odds with the Pakistani constitution and laws, the TLP continues to propagate that ideology.

As police arrested nine more suspects, including three main accused, in the Madyan case, leaders of TLP have warned the district administration and police in Swat to release those arrested, or they will launch nationwide protests if their demand is not met. These are not fringe leaders either; they presented their ultimatum in a press conference attended by Malakand Division General Secretary Noor Mohammad Noorani, District Emir Maulana Sirajuddin, District Joint Secretary Dr. Aleem Khan, Mufti Kafayatullah, and District Press Secretary Naeem Khan. In this press conference, their views on the matter were presented as explicitly as possible. TLP asserted that killing in the name of religion is justified, that TLP has the right to take the law into its own hands, and that it would continue to do so in the future.

Such a blatant challenge to the authority of the state cannot be tolerated, regardless of the principles or power of the group making the challenge. All Pakistani stakeholders need to realize that partnering with fringe groups like the TLP may bring temporary benefits—as seen in the Faizabad dharna—but in the long term, it only emboldens these groups to grow and spread their ideology in violent ways. It is time TLP is brought to heel.