Hate speech falling after crackdown, says Punjab police chief

Misuse of the sound system has come to an end, says Mushtaq Sukhera

A crackdown on mosques which use loudspeakers to blare out incendiary language against minorities has cut down hate speech in Punjab, the police chief said.

Punjab, which has a population of about 100 million, has historically struggled to curb sectarian violence and hate speech by firebrand Muslim Sunni clerics who often refer to minorities as "heretics".

The rise of sectarianism in the country has alarmed officials who worry stoking of religious animosity could further destabilise a nation already beset by terrorism.

The crackdown on hate crime began in December 2014 after militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) killed more than 150 people in the Army Public School in Peshawar school, including 134 children.

IG Punjab Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera said about 9,500 cases were brought against those spouting hate speech via loudspeakers traditionally used by mosques to call for prayer.



"The misuse of that sound system has come to an end," Sukhera told Reuters in an interview. "That, to me, is a big success."

Sukhera said mosques where hate speech was taking place have been put under surveillance, while offensive material has been removed from city walls and advertising boards.

IG Punjab Mushtaq Sukhera.

Representatives of minority groups confirmed mosques in Lahore and other big cities in Punjab had largely stopped using loudspeakers to preach against smaller religious group.

"But (that is) only in big cities where police do strong checks. In smaller towns and rural areas, loudspeakers are still being used for hate speech," said Saleemur Rehman, spokesperson for the Ahmadi community which is often targeted.

Peter Jacob, Director National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), added that hate speech continues on social media and is plastered to rickshaws and public buses.

"There is no change in the level of intolerance in the society," he said.

Sukhera said the crackdown on groups such as Lashkar-e-Jhangvi had helped reduce crime in Punjab. The murder rate in 2015 fell 26 per cent to 4,522 from a year earlier.

The number of "terrorism/suicide/sectarian" incidents declined 56 per cent, he added.