Long March and Thereafter
24 January, 2013
By Abdul Rahman Malik
People of Pakistan are mostly considered by some Observers and Analysts that, are easy to be fooled since they have little Knowledge about the evil designs of the People who pretend to be noble for the People but actually they have been performing the mission of those non state actors as the term suggests and those who want to de-stabilize the Country and derail the Transitional Democracy which has not reaped the Fruit yet since the Frequent Coup d'états have really crippled the democratic Process, Democratic Institutions and the most threatening is Militancy and terrorism in Pakistan which is said to have set deep root in the Country and sabotaged the very roots of the country.
In the Post 9/11 Arena, Pakistan has suffered a lot in respect of Human Loses being the front line state to bear the wrath of the people being suppressed by the United States to avenge the 9/11 Strikes which had destroyed the World Trade Center.
The Powerful NATO forces pounded the Afghanistan on the Pretext of Osama Bin Laden Chase who was said to have fled to this country and to topple the Radical Islamic Government of Taliban in Afghanistan led by Mullah Umar the Chief of Taliban Regime in Afghanistan. Due to War trodden Afghanistan, many peaceful citizen took refuge in Pakistan specially in Peshawar, GB and Karachi. Pakistan was not provided with any help to bear the burden of these refugees whose camps were set up in KP and later most of the people moved to economical Metro Cities such as Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta and Lahore. Pakistan has been paid a aid in its War on terrorism Mission which has made the state prone to anti State elements who consider Pakistan as ally to the United States in its war on terror as express their hatred by spreading terror in the country through Frequent Bomb blasts and attacks on religious leaders and creating interfaith disharmony in Pakistan.
The target killings in Karach, Balouchistan issue and Tribal clashes in KPK has compelled the Government to consider the other options since a targeted and organized move can eradicate these problems from the country as so far the Government has failed to tackle the Militancy, Talibanisation and Target killings as hundreds of Innocent people have lost the lives an some of the politicians and last were Bhashir Bilour of ANP and MQM's MPA Manzar Imam. This bloody games seems to have no end.
If we go back in the past, we will find that the TTP group had announced the Promulgation of Islamic Shariah in Swat valley as they captured the whole city and put it in their control and challenged the writ of the Government in the Regime of General Pervez Ashraf.
Later, The Current Government initiated the Swat Military Operation and it was well targeted and got the Swat freed from the Hold of TTP who said to have imposed Islamic shariah in the Swat Valley Turning a economically Rich and Tourism Revenue generating Valley into a battlefield and destroyed its infrastructure completely. But people were Happy when the Operation was over and they returned to their hometown after Conflict was over and Peace was restored in the area which was earlier the den of Militants fighting against the state laws and challenging the writ of the Government. Well, these were the memoirs of Past which still remain fresh in our minds owing to their gravity and bloodshed.
Well, Coming back to the Qadri –A dual nationalist –Pakistan and Canadian, appeared on the scene suddenly after five years or so, and at time when the Government is going to complete its tenure and the News of Elections 2013 in the Air. All of Sudden, the Qadri's appearance astonished everyone and Government as Government is already engulfed and gripped in internal as well as external threats besides the drones firing on the hideouts of Taliban Leaders by United States and tough border situation with Afghanistan.
Columnists have expanded the term drone to other issues as well as they termed Altaf's Drone attack on Quaid-e-Azam's and some writers also termed Qadri's Sudden Long March as Drone Attack on the Government as every person feared the fragile government of PPP which has already lost Popularity as well as mandate and whose One Prime Ministers have been disqualified on contempt of Court, Other was disqualified before Nomination in ephedrine Case and third one has been booked on the charges of corruption in Rental Power Plant RPP case by the Supreme Court of Pakistan headed by Justice Iftikhar Choudhry who was restored in the current government after a long and proactive movement of Lawyers as former military dictator, had removed him from the Office of Chief Justice of Pakistan.
Starting with Mammoth rally in Lahore jointly with MQM, it was estimated that a fourth Power has emerged on the scene, followed by MQM Rally in Karachi. Both the rallies had thousands of people gathered to listen to sheikh Qadri. Everyone was astonished to see that From where such huge mob has emerged and who was the person behind his Long march and Lahore and Karachi Rallies.
One thing is sure that MQM was the companion of Dr Qadri in Lahore and Karachi which may be reason in light of political pundits that people in great numbers had assembled there to listen the Qadri's Speech and later the four point Agenda based on the demands of : Immediate Dissolution of Government Federal and Provincial, Reconstitution of the Election Commission, Reforms in the Constitution and the Last demand was to put the rein of county in the non-political care Taker government who may hold Impartial and Transparent Elections.
The Tehreek Minhajul Quran Chief Allama Tahirul Qadri wanted immediate change which is impossible in the presence of Democratic Government as the method of reforms was not constitional and democratic as he was criticized by the Analysts owing to holding of dual nationality as Supreme court had already disqualified the MNA's and MPA's on the issue of Dual Nationality including Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Finance Minsiter Mohammad Hafeez Shaikh.
The Four points agenda had irked the Current government as well as the coalition and opposition parties as the demand came at the point when democracy had hardly set foot and country was going to hold the upcoming elections after the tenure of the current Government ends on 16th March 2013. The Qadri's and Long March had become the much discussed issue in Media and Political Circles, even the politicians got closer to face this new threat to democracy as they all did not want to Military to be dragged in the affairs of state when an elected and public mandated Government is in place. The also quizzed Qadri that what made him to come back after five years for reforms and where was he earlier. They made it clear that if Qadri has any plans, must enter the mainstream politics and bring change through ballot.
In Nutshell, Allama Tahirul Qadri's Long march did not yield fruit and his four days long March and protest attended by Thousands of People including men, women and children made no headway out in and there was no effect upon the Government, despite Supreme Court's Order for the arrest of PM in Rental Power Plant case, came in when Dr Qadri was delivering the speech. After the long discussion an agreement reached between Qadri and The Government representatives, Dr Qadri, at last, nodded to the requests of Government. Earlier, All Opposition Parties held Press Conference in Lahore in favour of democracy which was said to have rescued the Government as it was declared unanimously that no attempt of derailing the democracy system will be tolerated and Mehmood Achakzai said that If they were compelled then they will make every city a "Tehreer Square". Qadri's Only one Point was considered in the agreement that whenever the Caretaker Government was set up, Qadri's Awami Tehreek would be consulted as all of his other demands, has not been accepted.
Qadri's Long March at one stage was believed to have compelled the Government to take the bitter decisions followed by Big Strike of Hazaras in wake of Quetta Killings due to series of Bomb Blasts resulting deaths of 106 people most of them related to Shia Sect resulting imposition of Governor's Rule in Baluchistan for Two months,
The Way the Long March Hype was created through TV Advertising, the Long March made no output as Everybody was analyst and making their own predictions for the dissolution of the PPP Government but luckily no such thing had happened except the controversial Raisani's Baluchistan Government where the Governor Rule has been imposed for Two Months as No further development has surfaced. Since Raisani's government had lost its mandate and Law and order situation was getting worse day by day and there was state of anarchy and people were feeling disillusioned from the poor steps of Government which had fallen prey to internal political conflicts between the speaker and CM Raisani.
Even the Resignation of NAB chief was proved false as the news was broken from BBC. The recent Suicide News of Investigation Officer of NAB who was investigating RPP case, has spread a shock to the Political and social circles, and the Media has hooked itself towards this issue after the Long March Drama and Show n was over in Islamabad breeding no results despite the expenditure of Millions in Hiring the Transport and Food. The Long March has also removed the Cover of those faces who said to be the well
wishers of people and united for their vested Interest. One thing is also clear that At first two rallied, MQM had backed Long March, but its sudden withdrawal after the coalition parties meeting held in Karachi may be the cause of its failure as MQM had withdrawn from the Long at Eleventh Hour, which shows the clever thinking of MQM which put Qadri in the desert to walk on the thorny Route to reach Islamabad and Address the Mammoth sit in which was once boasted and predicted to be over 4 Million where as media reports disclosed that the number of protesters was just 40000 to 50000 only. The Number mattered for the Qadri as he had expected more People to exert pressure over the government to accept his demands.
Now, when Qadri is taking rest after the series of speeches at Islamabad or may be planning yet another Move, we do believe and demand that the transitional democracy be left to cement its foundations and the Government should be left to complete its tenure which has only 58 days left to go home and vacate the Hot seats. At this critical and important juncture, the Country can't afford to bear the brunt of any attempt to derail the democracy or impose the Marshal law or any other move with whom democracy may be disrupted or derailed. This is the second Government in the history of Pakistan, which completing its tenure as in past the governments were either toppled by Marshal Laws or conspiracies hatched against the elected Governments.
We all know that Democracy is the great weapon to defeat the enemies and It is high time that we should know and make it clear that Military matured and their status has been raised and we regard military in high esteem on the practice of keeping itself away from the Political issues, which is welcome sign of maturity. They have been successful in removing the negative impression against military and they should not be dragged to de-stabilize the country. The Politicians should not be impatient for 58 days and wait for the Impartial Care taker Government and direct their efforts to Election and prepare their Manifestos and get ready for the biggest event for the People.
Let the People choose whom they want to see in the assemblies with changed faces and new ideas to stabilize the country and help build this nation a strong nation as dreamt by Quaid-e-Azam. Let the Military do their job of guarding the frontiers rather than interfering in the Legislation and Democratic Institutions as it was evident in the past that those who invited Military to hold the reins of country, later seen contending, crying and complaining against the Marshal Law Administrators. Only Tolerance and Patience would be the key till the end of tenure of the current Government on 16th March, 2013. It is also good news that the tentative date for the Election has been announced which is 04, 05 and 06th of June 2013.
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