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21 January 2013
By Saeed Qureshi
By opting to compromise on certain fundamental
contentious issues, the political belligerents have
averted a huge human catastrophe. I am referring to
the Islamabad accord between Dr. Tahirul Qadri and his
party Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT) on one hand and the
PPP's coalition government on the other. One would not
expect a total accommodation of Maulana Qadri's
demands, as this could have never be done even by most
docile and pliable government.
If both the parties have overcome the principal
irritants and leveled off the rough ends, then it is
indeed a monumental accomplishment. Such sparkling
development should be welcomed by sober and moderate
onlookers and even the stakeholders and well wishers
of Pakistan. It was a real people's struggle for
genuine reforms.
The most laudable and striking hallmark of the
historic sit-in was that it was orderly and peaceful
and sustained for five days with great deal of poise
and responsible attitude by the protesters. Amazingly
the participants of the unique rally were the people
most of whom were alien to the posh environs of the
capital of Pakistan.
Most of them hailed from the rural or semi-urban
landscape of Pakistan. There were also a sizable
number from the cities. Admirably, they all did not
resort to provocative conduct or outburst of violence
that has remained the usual tone and patterns of such
rallies, processions and public meetings in Pakistan.
The Islamabad sit-in of the PAT and the others
affiliate groups and individuals have set a pioneering
brilliant precedent of the peaceful yet rigorous
outlet of their pent-up anger and deep disapproval
about a discredited and a pernicious status-quo
gnawing at the vitals of Pakistan. It has established
beyond any shadow of doubt that peaceful
demonstrations and sober protests were more poignant
and effective than the riotous and violent ones.
There is a great deal of resemblance between the about
a month long mammoth protest of
Egyptian people at the historic Tehrir Square
ultimately throwing a stubborn and despised dictator
Hosni Mubarak into the dustbin of infamy and lasting
condemnation. In comparison the Egyptian protest was a
mega one and that of Pakistan is minor. But their
thrust is the same: to change a decadent system wholly
or piecemeal.
While the stakes in Egypt were sky high, In Islamabad
it had much limited agenda. It was not to change the
praetorian but the mode of holding elections. The
Egyptian sit-in at Tehrir Square was joined by all
shades of political and public opinion. The
Islamabad's assemblage was staged solely by mostly
students, peasants, laboring sections and lower middle
classes. Its primary aim was to reform the electoral
system, tailored to reelect the representatives from
the privileged, aristocratic, elite feudal and wealthy
classes.
Both the sides have demonstrated a high level of
discretion and prudence and even tolerance in reaching
the consensus and to hammer out a harmonious end of a
stand-off that could have turned ugly and entail
untold sufferings. Many among the protesters had come
with their whole families including the children and
infants and with meager quantity of ration. With a
prolonged stay they would have ultimately starved or
get sick. They would have called off the mission that
could be disarrayed and fraught with frightening
hazards.
It is a feather in the cap of the PPP coalition
government and a well-deserved laurel for exercising
utmost patience and not resort to coercive techniques
employed in such chaotic and challenging situations.
Now, one would watch with fingers crossed if the
government earnestly implements, in letter and spirit,
of what has been agreed upon between the two sides
after lengthy parleys.
Almost all the political parties not only kept away
from the Dr. Qadri's led procession and rallies but
scathingly criticized it for being held with sinister
motives at the behest of some forces, at a time when
fresh elections were around the corner. The
politicians rejected Qadri's movement and termed it a
creepy plot by him to sabotage and short-circuit the
democracy to pave way for the undemocratic forces to
take over.
Those apprehensions and speculations have proven to be
wrong. On the contrary the popular huge protests for
comprehensive reform in the electoral system and its
acceptance by the government would spur the healthy
democratic culture and traditions in Pakistan. It has
established, for the first time in the checkered
history of Pakistan that the people, to whom the power
belongs, were capable of affecting a healthy reform
and meaningful transformation in the errant and faulty
system.
It has further proven that a dysfunctional and flawed
system can be brought back on track with unity,
cohesion, resolution and indeed through a peaceful
struggle by the people. Dr. Qadri achieved a landmark
objective singlehandedly that has remained elusive
thus far and that unfortunately was decried and
boycotted by the super-duper politicians en-bloc. Who
knows that these high sounding politicians wanted to
save the stinking status quo or were jealous of an
unexpected intruder who mobilized the people in a
short span of time for a great national cause? |
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