Pakistan, Oct. 21 -- If one wishes to understand the perils of extremism, the political journey of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan offers a complete case study.

In the 2018 general elections, TLP secured 2.2 million votes from Punjab alone. Had it functioned as a democratic political party, such a significant vote bank could have made it a serious player in national politics. Instead, chaos, extremism, and impulsiveness dragged it into a political swamp, and now it faces the possibility of a ban.

Throughout its existence, TLP failed to establish any political or organizational structure. It never engaged with other political parties, nor did mainstream parties take it seriously. Its leaders were absent from national debates, never held press...