Another Robbery

Despite his controversial dreams, predictions about his age to be 63 years, unsuccessful sit-in in Islamabad in 2012 for electoral reforms, and other conspiracy theories about him like "London Plan", "Planted by CIA" etc, his call was once again responded by poor people overwhelmingly. Dr. Tahir ul Qadri of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) asked his people to stand up against the corrupt system and gave a call of "peaceful agitation" against the government. His uprising started in May 2014 and in the month of June, about 100 of PAT's workers were fired upon by Punjab Police, out of which 14 laid their lives.

This brutal act of 14 state backed murders gave new blood to Dr. Tahir ul Qadri's movement and he announced to sit-in at Islamabad on 14 August 2014 (day of creation of Pakistan in 1947). His call was honoured by his allies parties like Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam) - PML (Q), Muttehada Sunni Council (United Sunni Counsil), and Majlis e Wehdat ul Muslimeen (MWM). The points for which Dr. Tahir ul Qadri launched his movement were: -

• Resignation of Mian Muhammad Nawaz Shareef (Prime Minister of Pakistan), Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Shareef (Chief Minister of Punjab Province), Federal and Provincial Ministers, and Police authorities alleged to be involved in Model Town fiasco that resulted in killing of 14 people.
• Implementation of first 40 suspended articles of the constitution that speak of providing basic facilities and rights to common people.
• Dissolution of National and Provincial Assemblies and formulation of a National Government based on technocrats and specialists of different field.
• Accountability of corruption cases of politicians and bureaucrats and punishments to the culprits under a transparent accountability process to be started by National Government.
• Free and fair elections after the accountability process which were to be contested on the basis of "participatory" democracy where common people were to be empowered and given their due share in government.

Dr. Tahir ul Qadri collaborated with Imran Khan of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) as PTI was also demanding accountability and audit of May 2013's General Elections and demanded accountability of malpractices during the elections. Before starting his long march he addressed a big gathering at his headquarters in Model Town Lahore and had announced that public may shoot him or Imran Khan, whosoever withdraws the call of Islamabad sit-in without having achieved their goals.

At the start of sit-in on night 14-15 August 2014, both the parties were successful in arranging big gatherings and the sit-in started with full zeal and fervour. After a few days when they thought that their sit-in opposite to Jinnah Stadium, Islamabad will have no impact in pressurizing the government, both PTI and PAT decided to move to red zone of Islamabad (an area around constitution avenue with President House, Parliament Building, Supreme Court of Pakistan, Foreign Office Building, Prime Minister Secretariat, Pakistan Secretariat (offices of different federal ministries), Pakistan Television and Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation Buildings astride the road. This move forward was against the terms and code of conduct of the sit-in mutually agreed between these two parties and the government. Government once again used force against the people of both parties who violated the code of conduct. This resulted in more losses of lives and injuries to common people whereas the leaders remained mounted in bullet proof vehicles.

During 69 days' longest ever sit-in the modern history, people suffered all kinds of natural and governmental atrocities for the noble cause and empowerment of commoners. They faced the sever summers, bore heavy monsoon rains, wind storms and spent nights in the open sky. People were of the view that this time their leader was determined and will not leave them bewildered. The sit-in gave hope to the nation that those sitting at D-Square at Islamabad were fighting for their rights. Common men from all over the country gave their full moral support to these people sitting in the sit-in. Political workers from other parties like Pakistan Peoples' Party and even ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) had their sympathies towards the workers of PAT. Electronic media of Pakistan provided their full assistance and support to Dr. Tahir ul Qadri but on the night of 21-22 Oct 2014, Dr. Tahir ul Qadri once again betrayed the people of Pakistan and called off his sit-in at Islamabad.

His call was proven a false alarm and he, after having caused so much loss to national economy, lives of people, having made people suffer all sorts of hazards of heat, rains, hail storms etc, and having endangered their lives, Dr. Tahir ul Qadri, once again twisted and chewed his own words. Changed his stance and without having achieved a single goal of his sit-in called it off, leaving following questions unanswered: -

• Did Prime Minister, Chief Minister or any other nominated culprits of Model Town Debacle resign?
• Have people been empowered through implementation of first 40 articles of the constitution of Pakistan?
• Have the assemblies been dissolved and a national government formed?
• Should Dr. Tahir ul Qadri be shot dead as per his own statement that anyone withdrawing from sit-in should be shot?
• Have the families of martyrs of Model Town and Islamabad been provided with justice or shall the blame of their killings be shifted to Dr. Tahir ul Qadri?
• Will people (other than his own religious followers who are brainwashed thoroughly) trust him again and act on his call in future?
• Will PAT gain popularity vote in any of the forthcoming elections and come into power to change the corrupt system through parliamentary means?
• Has Dr. Tahir ul Qadri not breached his trustworthiness and acceptance in general public.

PPP - Breaking in the Making

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto founded and raised Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) with a vision to empower labourers, farmers, factory workers and poor class of the society. His slogans were very attractive and represented the wishful dreams of poor people. Pakistan Peoples' Party, thus; within few years, became the most favourite party of the country and won first ever General Elections held in 1970 in West Pakistan with overwhelming majority. The slogan of Roti (food to eat), Kapra (dress to wear), and Makan (Shelter to live) was something desired by every human being and this dream slogan kept the party alive for decades. 

After judicial murder of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, PPP fought against the military regimes of 1977 and 1999, under the leadership of Benazir Bhutto (daughter of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto) and gained public sympathy because of murder of her father and two brothers. PPP workers also stood firm against the brutalities of Zia's martial law and the party came up as an ideological party and a hope for the poor. Due to its influence in all the four provinces, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, PPP was considered as a political force that can bind all the provinces and areas of Pakistan as one federal unit. This status of the party remained popular till early 90's thereafter, things started deteriorating because of Benzir Bhutto's husband Mr. Asif Ali Zardari's involvement in corruption and getting kickbacks on various mega governmental projects. He became famous as Mr 10%.

Another major opposition to PPP was Punjab based Zia backed Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) PML (N), who posed serious hindrance to PPP in all provinces, especially in the most populated province of Punjab. Both parties caused considerable loss to each other when they took turns in forming central governments. Both Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Shareef took two turns each as Prime Ministers. Although this introduced two party politics in the country but both got involved in corruption and making personal money. This gradually created the distance between rulers and general public and none of the party made any serious efforts to keep the harmony and unity amongst the masses.

On the broader spectrum, the situation in the region, Russian invasion in Afghanistan, involvement of USA, Iranian Islamic revolution and its counter measures by Saudi Arabia and Gulf nations, economic growth in China, and India's race towards becoming super power left their impact on internal socio-political situation in Pakistan. Country was subject to all kinds of factors leading towards disintegration. People split on the basis of religion, sects, geography, linguistics, and regional politics. During the martial law/ emergency imposed by General Parvez Musharraf, all sorts of political activities were seized and leadership of PPP and PML (N) was exiled. This further deteriorated the political situation and the nation was prone to target killings, religious based killings, suicidal bomb attacks, attacks on major military and civilian installations and other forms of religious and ethnic extremism. 

After the murder of Benazir Bhutto, PPP's reins were taken over by Mr. Asif Ali Zardari as Co-Chairman of PPP and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (Benazir and Asif Zardari's son) was made its Chairman to take over the party on gaining the age of becoming member of the Parliament. Zardari was already notorious for his corruption and this accidental takeover of PPP by him aired discontentment in party workers. Barring the leaders of PPP Sindh Province, where PPP was in power, all other leaders and party workers had a silent resentment and this widened the gulf between the leadership and party workers. Workers of PPP always had the vision of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in mind and looked for a leader who could make efforts to get them out of miseries and provide them the basic necessities of life like "Roti, Kapra, and Makan".

Recently, Imran Khan of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) and Dr. Tahir ul Qadri of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) started their movements of "change" and "revolution" and enlightened common people of their basic social and constitutional rights. This motivated people to join their movements and leave the parties they were associated with for the reason than none of the parties had done anything for the welfare of common people. Workers of PPP in Punjab, Balochistan, KPK and other parts overwhelmingly shifted their loyalties from Bhutto's Party to Khan's and Tahir ul Qadri's party basically due to the reason that leadership and workers had a great communication gap and the dreams were beings dealt by the two leaders of the movements. PPP leadership mostly restricted to drawing room politics and never bothered to reach out and meet the workers.

Due to 2 party system of politics, PPP and PML (N) signed an agreement called Charter of Dmocracy (COD) through which they reached to an understanding that both will co-operate with each other for mutual benefits and no cases of corruption will be opened against each other. This also caused resentment in PPP workers since they wanted PPP leadership to make serious efforts and stop the looting and misappropriation of money by PML (N).

Above are the reasons that have left the party in shambles and the Chairman (Bilawal Bhutto Zardari) and Co-Chairman (Asif Ali Zardari) have to take major steps if they have to bring the party back to mainstream politics at national level. Some measure they need to take immediately are : -

• Leave the reconciliation policy aside and take a serious stance against their traditional rivals like PML (N) and MQM.
• Re-elect the local leadership at the lowest level and restructure the hierarchy within the party.
• Meet party workers frequently and make them believe that they have not been abandoned.
• Bring their assets from abroad in the country and show real development in the rural areas of deprived Sindh and Balochistan.
• Established refreshed command network in Punjab that can mobilize people.
• Wash away the stigma of drawing room politics and empower party workers to make them understand that they are still at the helm of party affairs.
• Show clear stance against non-democratic forces and deny their back-door nexus with regional or linguistic parties.
• Get rid of disloyal elements who have gained dtrong roots in the party just for their personal gains.
• Bilawal Bhutto must encash the affection and love he enjoys amongst the poor and village based people who treat him as their beloved and saviour being the son of their ideal leader Benazir Bhutto and grandson of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.