As anger raged across the Muslim world at the US-made "Innocence of Muslims", the coalition government led by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) declared Friday a public holiday and encouraged people to protest peacefully.
But what was officially a "day of love for the prophet" ended in bloodshed and looting, with 21 people killed and more than 200 injured as angry demonstrators clashed with police, smashing up shops, cinemas and fast food outlets in major cities.
Compounding the problems for Pakistan's leaders, on Saturday Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmed Bilour offered $100,000 of his own money to anyone who killed the film-maker, urging the Taliban and al Qaeda to join the hunt to accomplish what he called the "noble deed".
More than 50 people have died around the world in violence linked to the low-budget movie, which mocks Islam and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), since the first demonstrations erupted on September 11.
But if the Pakistan government's intention in calling a public holiday was to take the sting out of the demonstrations on its own doorstep, the policy failed. There had been dozens of rallies against the film, some of which had led to clashes, but nothing on the scale of Friday's violence.
While the number of protesters was relatively small -- around 45,000 out of a population of 180 million -- many carried the banners of extremist groups, and as often happens in Pakistan, their voices drowned out the forces of moderation.
Najam Sethi, editor-in-chief of a Pakistan-based English-language newspaper, said the day of protest was a calculated move that backfired.
"It was a gamble. They hoped and thought that the demonstrations would be peaceful," he told AFP.
"And even when they saw this could turn violent, they did not do anything, or much, because they're afraid, as they are already accused of being soft on the West."
Author and analyst Hasan Askari said the events showed the elected government had allowed a small but vocal minority from the religious right to dictate the agenda.
"As usual the government played on the wicket of religious elements and lost to them," he told AFP.
"By declaring Friday as a holiday it did not keep the initiative with it. The initiative went in the hands of the religious elements."
The Pakistani government on Sunday distanced itself from Bilour's bounty offer but political analyst Rasul Bakhsh Rais said it was further evidence of politicians' willingness to try to capitalize on religious sentiment.
"The statement shows the so-called secular and moderate politicians are using the name of Islam for domestic politics," Rais said of the reward offer.
Bilour's Awami National Party (ANP) is under pressure from religious groups in the deeply conservative northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where it holds power and where anti-Western feeling runs deep.
The bounty was in part an attempt to outflank the religious right, Askari said -- to show that the nominally secular ANP can be as strong as anyone.
But efforts by mainstream parties to win support from religious conservatives -- to ride the tiger of extremism -- are both unlikely to succeed and fraught with risk, warned Rais.
"It is typical of the mindset of the leaders to play to the gallery," he said.
"It will encourage religious fanaticism and in the long term it may harm peace and stability at home. Such elements need to be condemned."
Askari said that while Bilour's offer of a bounty was embarrassing to the government internationally, particularly with President Asif Ali Zardari due to address the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, it was also indicative of a stratum of opinion within the coalition.
"These things show that hard line thinking is there in the government circles also," he told AFP.
"There is a common phenomenon of point-scoring in Pakistan politics and Bilour wanted to show that 'we are not lagging behind any other group'."
A general election is due in the next few months and with anti-US sentiment running higher than ever in Pakistan, the government thought it could seize the moment to boost its popularity, said Sethi.
"Everything, including this attitude, is also linked to the upcoming elections".
COMMENTS (8)
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sick of this nonsense, If good looks and good orator is a criteria to be a great leader then I accept that Bhutto had both It's a fshion to say Bhutto was a great leader but nobody justifies why.
@sabi: It is because the media has become strong that the intolerance is being highlighted now. Intolerance was at its peak in Zia's era which spilled over to future generations. PPP tried to contain it but in the end bowed down to hard liners. I dont support PPP any more but I you are out of line here considering it was Shiri Rehman, Taseer, Shahbaz Bhatti all PPP leaders stood up for minorities and 2 of them even lost their lives. Please dont be short sighted, give credit where its due. PPP is incompetent and corrupt in many levels but religious bigotry was never one of them. P.S its founder was one of the greatest leaders Pakistan ever saw. Show some respect.
Friday is fast approaching. Is there going to be another 'holiday'?
In fact, we as a Muslim nation want to adopt all sources available to reach the blasphemer,because he deserve no sympathy but punishment.
Any thing can be tolerated but not desecration or blasphemy Look around, everything has its limits,why freedom of expression is unleashed?,not acceptable. It is dire need of the time,United States should take a step and bring some essential amendments in the relevant law in view of the fragile status of relationship with Pakistan front line ally in war on terror.
Bravo ET you did not post my comment but from the above it appears that at least someone in ET read it. The problem is not between "We the Muslims" versus them "the West", the real problem is within. Kaiser Bengali should know his own country better and he should know non-Muslim countries better.
In this game of Religious fanaticism it seems like everyone wants to play a game of one upmanship, rather than try and douse the fire. These moves are fraught with dangerous consequences for the country. Moderates if they do exist must come out of hiding now else there will be nothing to fight for later.
The way authorities in Pakistan have handled the issue of amateurish and trashy US film mocking Islam, it will only exacerbate religious extremism in our country in the long run.
Instead appeasing, there is desperate need for the government to encourage Pakistanis to come to terms with the freedom of expression in the West. After all, freedom of expression is not so bad as it seem. We often worry about the risks that it carries so much so that we fail to see it's potential for bringing overwhelming benefits.
Just imagine if in the 16th century Europe, the powerful church had been successful in gagging Galileo and halting spread of the knowledge from his discoveries that conflicted with the Christian religious beliefs on the universe. Mankind would have gone on believing earth as centre of the universe, may be for several more thousand years. In the mean time, the human race could also have got held back from the path that subsequently lead to spectacular scientific and technological advances.
Muslims can protest as much as they like, they will not be allowed to dictate its curtailment. I am afraid, the Western freedom of expression in its current form, most probably is here to stay. The sooner we all come to terms with it, the better.
No other politicle party has done more damage to Pakistan than ppp.It's socialist economic agenda has infact broken the backbobone of econpomy.Because the motive was not reforms but to buy a voter.ppp is infact a party short of vision including it's founder.It is strange that party boast of being secular yet level of religious intollerance and minoritis persecution reaches it's peak during ppp govt.This party is infact a poineer of using religion as a politicle weapon and is responsible for worst religious legislation in constitution.Irony is many of ppp leaders still take pride in introducing this legislation.