BRIEFS

PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT TAKES ACTION AGAINST TNSM

Pakistani authorities recently arrested 24 Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) activists after they were found burning electronics equipment such as CDs and televisions in Manglawara and Charbagh (Daily Times, August 11). Speaking to the Daily Times, Manglawara Station House Officer Khaista Rehman said that the activists were arrested “for terrorizing people in the area.” The arrested TNSM members were assisted by local residents who had apparently joined the TNSM activities after clerics with loudspeakers shouted orders of support for the public burning. TNSM, or the Movement for the Enforcement of Islamic Laws, was formed by Maulana Sufi Mohammad, one of the active leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami in the 1980s. After the U.S.-led intervention in Afghanistan, the organization was weakened. Yet, in the first half of 2006, there has been a resurgence in TNSM activities. As stated in Terrorism Focus on May 17, “the revitalization of the TNSM movement could create further instability in Pakistan’s NWFP, adding to Islamabad’s existing difficulties of maintaining stability over the entire country.” The government’s decision to move against TNSM in this latest incident may express its concern about the growth of the organization.