The details emerging out of Pakistan are still somewhat sketchy but some facts are clear; more than 30 people are dead and over 115 injured. The Chief Justice of Pakistan was unable to address the Sindh Bar Association and was forced to go back to Islamabad and the private television station Aaj TV, which has been in the forefront of covering pro-judiciary and anti-Musharraf protests, was attacked by armed gunmen. This is indeed another dark day in the checkered political history of Pakistan.
It is now well past time for the Musharraf regime to go. This government has now lost the last shreds of moral authority required to govern. I salute the men and women of the civil society of Pakistan and the courageous independent media who are leading this struggle for the supremacy of the law and freedom of expression at grave risk to their life and limb.
As tragic and sad as events in Karachi are, this political moment is of historic import for the people of Pakistan and even on this day of darkness I see some hope for a better future. Since the sacking of the CJP on March 9th, the heroic struggle of the lawyers has germinated greater democratic desire and decisively strengthened Pakistan’s civil society and its beleagured independent media.
In the face of relentless governmental coercion there have been heartwarming displays of peaceful resistance, none more evident than in the historic journey of Justice Chaudhry through the heart of Punjab. Those in Pakistan and abroad who desire an eventual constitutional democratic polity rooted in a rule of law have to be encouraged by these developments. The conclusion of this episode, however, remains highly uncertain because no political sagacity can be expected from those who have brought us to this pass.
This grassroots peoples’ movement has also forced the politicians of all hues to make a choice; they either stand on the side of the rule of law or for the perpetuation of a dangerously unstable, one-man military banana republic. Mainstream politicians (despite all their historical shortcomings) clearly seem to grasp the national mood and the King’s men who are standing up for the present dispensation to save their personal fiefdoms will hopefully pay a steep price whenever they face the electorate in a fair election.
MQM more clearly exposed itself today than it ever has in its sordid history (thanks to private TV channels). The party that started with great hopes, rooted in the educated middle classes has over the years just become a collection of vicious thugs. It is wielding its fascistic tactics on behalf of people who seem to believe they have a divine right to perpetual power and who originally nurtured this party as a counterweight to PPP. MQM has shown itself the mirror image of the worst of MMA; both groups want people to acquiesce to their ideologies by force. Neither believes in nor has any fundamental respect for a constitutional rule of law.
Pakistan stands at a critical juncture as it has so many times in its unfortunate 60 year independent history. I would urge all Pakistanis and their well wishers to lend thier support to the struggle of Pakistan’s revitalized civil society. Let’s hope that the forces of peaceful democratic activism led by the country’s courageous lawyers ultimately emerge victorious and we can close this latest chapter of the military’s recurring era of authoritarian and unconstitutional misrule without further human suffering.
Fawad is a California-based literati-at-large and writes the blog ‘Moments of Tranquility,’ where a version of this was first posted.
Nashus, Nazir Naji represents the establishment, and is very capable of twisting the facts. While he could have said a number of things about the ongoing crisis, he very skillfully is changing the subject (thereby helping the political establishment). Actually, what he is saying doesn’t make much sense. There is a section of intelligentia which always tries to divert the attention to our geopolitical situation, thereby justifying the status quo; and the progression of the lawlessness that we are being subjected to. When State itself unleashes terrorism the way it has done in the last few days, our geopolitical situation becomes a non-issue. We are not safe from within; don’t tell us who our enemies are from outside.
The statement of PHCBA be also read in the background of todays Nazir Naji’s column in Daily Jang. Here is a translation of the concluding remarks:
“Dont look towards MQM, PPP, ANP and MMA on the Karachi carnage. What is happening is in none of them’s advantage. Something else is happening.It has neither to do with CJ and lawyers contact campaign nor with the rallies portraying show of force of government or opposition. Its relationship is with the tribal areas, Afghanistan and the world coalition against terrorism in which Pakistan is a partner. I am afraid the 2 million Afghan refugees who we are trying to send back to Afghanistan, instead of heading towards Jalalabad and Qandahar are diverted towards Karachi; the powers active in Waziristan, Bajaur, Kohat, Mardan, Dera Ismail Khan and Tank may not appear in Peshawar; and the storms surrounding the city of Quetta may not start heading towards the city. “
I am referring only to the title here, and not talking about the current discussion. There is no hope here, just darkness. While I knew about the murder by the state of Hammad Raza early this morning, I just noticed another story on Dawn. Link below.
http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/15/top17.htm
Why is this relevant? Because DIG Saleem Ullah Khan was appointed by the CJ himself to investigate the disappearance of this peasant family in MirpurKhas. Somehow Chief Minister Sindh did not like the idea (reportedly because he has political connections with the landlord who was the main suspect in this case, and a target of this investigation). Chief Minister Sindh first suspended the DIG, and now this; he was arrested from Islamabad today. From these two incidents of the day, the message is very clear and chilling; we can and will kill, we can and will destroy; don’t stand in our way.
This statement by the Peshawar supreme court bar association is very dangerous. Someone should tell them to cool their heads and avoid giving it an ethnic colour, it’s not just Pashtoons that have been killed, and MQM’s victims include people of all ethnicities, including mahajirs as well.
We should strongly oppose MQM, but please, please, please lets not turn this into an ethnic war.
If anyone who can talk to them and calm them down, they should do so right away.
aqil — i dont get angry but kind of shocked because you have no idea what you’re talking about and when you’re corrected by people who are professional journalists you still insist on having your say — the fact that the news website did not have news of the additional registrar’s death “all day on monday” doesnt mean much because what matters is the print edition of the paper which carried the news prominently — so its actually more like disbelief at your naivete and cluelessness
kruman there’s a difference between a hostile environment for the media which of course there is and the media itself willingly looking the way and not doing its job — the website right now, taking cue from the print edition of May 15 — has hammad raza’s death as the top story — and also has another story titled ‘Who killed Hammad Raza?’