Its been more than four days since Martial Law and we are going through most difficult times of our history. Nobody knows how many more days and weeks and months this situation will continue.
Like most of the concerned Pakistanis, I felt so depressed and hopeless about the future of my beloved country specially during the first two days. Since the declaration of Martial Law (and please STOP calling it emergency!) on that Black Saturday Evening, like many other things we have also been deprived of basic human right of access to information which is most frustrating because we don’t know what is going on.
Not many Pakistanis living abroad understand what exactly it means to have no access to information. A vast majority of Pakistanis have been forced to see the government control PTV news which keeps on showing a bunch of Robots saying things which only they can understand. I must have watched PTV news after many many years and unfortunately, its still the same old PTV. Many people I know had to call their relatives abroad to get some information about the situation in Pakistan. However, a small percentage of Pakistanis now have the access to Geo, ARY and Dawn, thanks to the internet. Although we are now facing some problems in internet services too in some parts of Lahore.
Lack of access to information has caused a great deal of confusion and left people speculating about the situation. Organized rumours were circulating in Pakistan on Monday about the arrest of Musharraf which caused Karachi Stock Market to go down 634 points. Whoever was behind this planned rumour (and fingers are being pointed at some people in very high places), made billions of rupees in just few hours.
So, as Adil Bhai asks in his post too, what is it that we can do and should do? Some segments of our society have already answered this question to a large extent and set an example for the rest of us to follow. Let me explain how. I have been writing about the growing indifference in our society and the initial one or two days were extremely depressing and disappointing as only lawyers and journalists staged notable protests but generally public has remained quiet. But the defiance shown by a large number of SC, High Court judges and the lawyer community has once again given us new hope.
We must salute judiciary and take it as a big positive that never before such large number of judges had refused to take oath under PCO. Lawyers across Pakistan continue to boycott courts and protest despite the brutal beatings by police. Politicians are still nowhere to be seen even after four days since Martial Law. All they have done is passing statements and that we are planning but NO ACTION. I know Benzair Bhutto has just given a very strong statement demanding Musharraf to restore constitution, hold elections, take off uniform and release detained judges and lawyers OR face protests and long march. Personally, I still think there are talks going on behind the scenes and this is just a pressure building tactics to gain more and more. We should not expect much from them as they are likely to end up in a deal again. I pray that I am wrong in my assessment.
Since yesterday, we have now started to see very passionate Students Protests by various universities in Lahore and Islamabad. Yesterday hundreds of Quaid-I-Azam University students, professors staged a largest protest against Gen. Musharraf in the history of university. Today students of LUMS, FAST Lahore, Punjab University and some other colleges have also joined the protest against martial law. The students of FAST Lahore were also protesting against the detention of LUMS students and teachers yesterday. You can find dozens of videos of students protest on youtube.com.
On Wednesday, there was another large protest by students of Quaid-I-Azam university, Hamdard University, Lawyers and civil society in district court Islamabad. Despite all the threats from police officials, the number of students protesting is growing. Clearly disappointed from politicians, civil society and university students are now coming out on streets to protest against the actions of Gen. Musharraf. Imran Khan, who is in hiding, is trying to organize students to come out on streets. He gave this video message for Pakistanis and I think it has a very good plan of action and answers Adil Bhai’s question too:
Meanwhile, according to Dawn, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary has also urged people to act. Inaction at this time would be a great tragedy and we must do everything we can to support the restoration of constitution and reinstate judges.
Deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry urged the nation on Tuesday to rise up for the restoration of the Constitution. He dismissed the proclamation of emergency as illegal. The Constitution has been ripped to shreds, he said while addressing a rally of lawyers by telephone from his besieged residence where he has been detained. The lawyers were protesting against the imposition of emergency and removal of the chief justice and several other judges of the superior judiciary through the Provisional Constitutional Order.
Justice Iftikhar asked the lawyers to spread his message to the people all over the country: The time has come for sacrifice and for rising up for the supremacy of the Constitution. He declared that he was determined to launch another phase of struggle for the independence of judiciary, rule of law and the Constitution. He said he would speak to the legal fraternity once restrictions on his movement were relaxed. I am under arrest now, but soon I will join you in your struggle, he said.
Justice Iftikhar said he was confident the day would come when the country would see the supremacy of the Constitution and that there would be no dictatorship. He described as unfounded President General Pervez Musharraf’s allegation that the judiciary was going soft on terrorists. He pointed out that the court had provided relief to the people and restored their faith in the judicial system. Before Justice Iftikhar could complete his address, the line that he was speaking over was cut and mobile phones in some parts of Islamabad went dead.
Hundreds of lawyers protested inside the city court complex after listening to Justice Iftikhar. They made no attempt to break through the police cordon deployed to prevent them from holding street protests. The lawyers condemned the imposition of emergency which they said was an attempt by General Musharraf to prolong his rule. After chanting anti-Musharraf slogans for about half an hour, the demonstrators dispersed peacefully.
ATP readers can check out the videos of student protests at FAST-NU and LUMS here and here respectively.
May Allah have mercy on Pakistan and give its leaders wisdom to make right decisions. Ameen.
Campus Updates* Friday’s Protest by Students @ FAST - NU, Pakistan - 9th November
posted by Opee - Omer Pervaiz at 3:59 PM on November 09, 2007
15:39hrs: Peaceful Protest by 500 - 600 students held after Juma Prayers.
15:44hrs: Some early photos aired showing students wearing Black Arm Bands gathered peacefully for an effective protest.
15:52hrs: Media came for coverage but was not allowed by the organizers to shoot the videos and photos.
Details:
[09/09/07 - 15:39hrs]
A peaceful protest was held today at FAST-NU (National University of Emerging Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan aka FAST - NUCES or formerly, SAHICS). Around 500-600 students gathered backstage after Jumma Prayers for a Peaceful protest. All the students were Wearing Black Arm Bands as a sign of protest. Few faculty members also addressed the student gathering.
More details and updates about the protest.. coming up!
[09/09/07 - 15:44hrs]
Some early photos aired showing students wearing Black Arm Bands gathered peacefully for an effective protest. Students and some faculty members gathered at the backstage of the campus after Jumma prayer.
[09/09/07 - 15:52hrs]
Media did come for coverage but they were not allowed to take any pictures or videos. Videos and pictures were taken by FAST-NU students themselves and will be published later.
Rafay Kashmiri, Imran being “harassed”, as you say, by Jamaatis and then this act condemned by Jamaatis is same as US condemning Musharaf but also supporting him underhand……same as Musharaf’s attack on Geo offices and apologising for it….. same as Fuzlu “supporting” democracy and also supporting Musharaf government. Military and Musharaf are proficient in this US technique, and not surprisingly so, all three have been bed fellows for decades.
Bohat achay!!!
IJ Students Bohat Achay!!!
Instead of helping Imran to protest they behave him like criminal. Its shame for IJ Students
Dear Commentators,
We all have suspicion that PPP and Benazir are
playing theater, the other day I saw Jehangir Badar
who was posing for GEO, REALLY a pose which was
implanted very timingly to portray Badar, yes they are
staging a theartical piece, the left is with PPP.
Well, you all have heard what Aitezaz Ahsan and the
“new” Abidha Hussain Sayyedah ” said about BB.
Come on BB & PPP give up, go home !!
I have calculated Geo has out of 24 hours, atleast 12 hours
reserved only for BB and PPP, the rest 12 to 15 minutes
ONLY. This is Geo Majay say !! I have stopped paying
Geo in Europe !!!! you may do so as well !! are you
paying for BB & PPP’s pub
Deewana Aik,
Imran not beaten, but harassed by IJ students who were condemned on the spot by their leaders, nothing
very grave !!! we have to give value to what Imran
is engaged with.
The elections being so near, Media frenzy is peaking to an extent that it is getting beyond comprehension.
If we look at the headings in the English press we get an impression that political support for Benazir in Pakistan is immense.
However if we look at the neutral International Press, we regularly come across news items like the following.
CNN.com reports as of November 13th,
While authorities barricaded the streets surrounding the house where she was staying (Lahore), only a “handful” of officials and members of Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had tried to breach the cordon, CNN’s Karl Penhaul reported.
“These party officials show up the barricades. They symbolically chant two or three slogans and then almost voluntarily they seem to be stepping into police vans to be taken off for some kind of arrest, “Penhaul said.
Opposition groups had hoped to stage a five-day Lahore-to-Islamabad march and were counting on a groundswell of popular support to carry out the protest, but there appeared to be none.
We are finding it difficult to make up our mind as to what is real and what is media vengeance against the Government.
There seems to be a great deal of distance between the ground realities as Benazir found in Pakistan, and what she had expected them to be.
To understand the reason for this, it is very important to note that Benazir left Pakistan in 1998 and came back in 2007. A gap of about 09 years. During this period the World changed. 9/11 happened in 2001. The American definition of good guys and bad guys was revised drastically. U.S.A got seriously involved in Iraq (2003) and in Afghanistan (2001).
At the time of her departure the memory of her father being hanged (1979) was fresh in the National memory and Benazir became Prime Minister twice (1988 to 1990 and 1993 to 1996) literally taking a free ride on her father’s famous slogan of Roti Kapra and Makan (Bread, Clothing and shelter).
Being away from Pakistan she fed her ego on the memory of the glorious days during her father’s popularity. With time, instead of diminishing, these fanciful thoughts kept feeding on themselves and became larger and larger.
Benazir being an expert in Public Relations kept her contacts in United States and persistently pleaded her cause with them. She guessed very correctly and made her marketing strategy based on Democratic Principles and being anti Islamic Fundamentalists.
As reported by The Sun, New York on August 23rd 2007 she had a three hour Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Midtown with Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Dan Gillerman.
She indicated to the Americans that if back in power she would fully support their agenda of non proliferation as well as there strong belief in Pre-Emptive Strikes and Hot Pursuit.
She also joined forces with anti Musharraf forces in United States like Zalmay Khalilzad, the present U.S. Representative in the United Nations.
So far so good.
However when she landed in Karachi (18th October 2007) and took 9 hours to travel a distance of 4/5 miles, tragedy struck, Bomb exploded and 140 people died. The procession was claimed by her supporters as three Million strong. However independent opinion thought that it had 300,000 to 400,000 people, mostly from Up Country who were provided free transport and pocket money.
There are many people in the North who have never visited Karachi and never seen the Ocean. The time was close to the festival of Eid (in Karachi Eid was celebrated on 14th October and the whole week 14-21 was Eid festival) and every body was in a festival mood and they came.
The death of 140 innocent people broke the momentum and since then Benazir has not been able to build up the spirit and the Peoples Power which she had dreamed of doing and had seriously believed that she could do.
Political parties win National elections if they can ride the crest of a Political Tsunami. And now the election being so near there is no time to develop a ground swell.
At this moment Benazir is so desperate that she is saying things which she would not have said otherwise.
She is even willing to joint hands with the most unlikely partners like Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan and may be even Islamic Fundamentalists like Qazi Hussain Ahmed. All this she could do under the blanket cover of A.R.D (Alliance for Restoration of Democracy).
Since she has been unable to put on the table the critical mass of public support, no body is taking her seriously any more.
In her desperation she has even started to appeal to the sympathy of the masses.
In her CNN interview, she addressed media reports that Musharraf may have her deported. (She is not that important any more, and it seems that it would make no difference as to whether she is in Pakistan or Dubai).
Benazir also said that “I’m told by Sky television that the regime is getting a C-130 military aircraft ready to take me away, presumably to my home in Karachi. But I have not been given any indication of whether I will be taken out of this house arrest or whether I will be taken to my own house or to any unknown destination,” (She wishes that as Nawaz Sharif, her enemy number one, was provided an aircraft to be taken to Jeddah, the Government at least would do the courtesy of giving her the same amount of respect).
“So I’m totally in the dark at this moment on what this regime is planning to do with me.”
It really is a bit sad when we see a proud daughter of a proud father (who would rather be hanged than do something which was contrary to his principles) stooping to conquer but no one seems to care.
Imran Khan beaten by students at Punjab University; http://jang.com.pk/jang/nov2007-daily/14-11-2007/u p18.gif
Islamians and Sadis,
you must respect Pakistan’s Constitution.
one must respect the Pakistan’s IDEOLOGY point.
Nazaria-e-Pakistan, there is no alternative, or choice to
that, 165 millions will fight to preserve their country
not at the cost of “conversions” to idiocies.
Just an observation on recent protests.
The regime is stopping protest demonstration on the pretext that these are against section 144. Section 144 prohibits congregation of four or more people in public places.
I remember that during agitation against bhutto regime in 1977, the tactic used by protesters to circumvent the section 144 was that people took out protests in rows of three or two people each. So if three thousand people were protesting, there were a thousand rows of three persons each. As these rows were not connected so it was not deemed a violation of section 144.
We all need to use the same tactic these days to give the police one less excuse of stopping these demonstrations. From experience I can say that it has been successful so far.