Side-effect

Two years ago on this day a movement was launched in the country -- the movement for restoration of judiciary, spearheaded by the lawyers, after the suspension of the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan four days earlier by the-then president-cum-army chief. In July the same year, the chief justice was restored by a court judgement. But those involved in the movement continued to demand that the president doff his uniform and then resign as president. But a writ filed in this regard by a couple of politicians was not found maintainable by the Supreme Court on legal grounds. However, the plot thickened in a tense environment and in less than four months' time after his restoration, the chief justice and more than 60 other judges of the Supreme and High Courts of the country were suspended. They had refused to take oath under a new Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) promulgated upon the imposition of emergency in Pakistan by the same ruler. It was Nov 3, 2007. The movement started again full-scale.

Let us take things on the face value. Especially, after meeting the slain PPP leader personally with a group of activists, technocrats and lawyers who were PPP loyalists, including the present attorney general and a newly appointed judge or two in the Lahore High Court, one can confirm that she had shown her acceptance of the popularity of the issue and a keenness to resolve it. On the same day in November 2007, she tried to see the deposed chief justice and made a speech outside his residence where her cavalcade was stopped by the police. Technically, the leadership and supporters of the Pakistan People's Party remained very much a part of the movement and supported the restoration of the pre-Nov 3 judiciary until the time its co-chairperson got elected president of the republic. Since, they have reneged on agreements made with other political parties on the issue in public and took an about turn for reasons best known to them. So we are all in a mess.

Common people in this country are neither trusted nor taken into confidence by those in power. Deals, constitutionals packages, NROs, what not, we don't know. But it has all happened outside the Parliament and continues the same way. Nobody is different. What stopped the PML-N from moving bills in Parliament about things they stand for? But they tried to cut deals outside of the legislature first, and when they failed, took to the streets. As common citizens of Pakistan, we are reminded each time by some event that we are and will always be betrayed by this ruling class. Be it elite politicians, the civil and military bureaucracy, those who hold big tracts of land and rule the roost in rural parts of the eastern provinces, tribal chieftains largely in the western provinces, the ones who run huge businesses across central Punjab and Karachi and finally the religious and political mafias that have sprung up in urban and semi-urban areas in order to claim their share in the booty. The booty consists of the wealth generated by the blood and toil of the working people of Pakistan and the money brought in from outside through concessional lending facilities and grants-in-aid. Whether it is a bridge in Karachi, a sewage scheme in Lahore, a bypass road in Peshawar or the income-support programme, they are all based on loans of which the PPP, the PML-N, the MQM and the ANP would take credit in their constituencies. What industry has our ruling elite mobilised in the last twenty years and what agricultural development have they brought about? Who says Pakistan doesn't need international support to address its problems. But where do we see the nation's growth, development and sustainability plan? Currently, no one is interested. Pakistan was born to a dream seen in March 1940. The dream of autonomy, prosperity and realisation of fundamental rights. It has to be fulfilled by us, the citizens of Pakistan, through a new political expression.



The writer is an Islamabad-based poet and rights campaigner. Email: harris@spopk.org