Azadi March: Four unusual official steps serving as provocation to protesters

ISLAMABAD: At least four unusual official steps or declarations have served as a provocation to the sponsors of the Azadi March, which is en route to the federal capital as per its plan.

These measures were taken when the protest was either about to start or had already begun. They were intended to show the official muscle and confidence, emitting an erroneous impression that authorities are least unnerved about the threats posed by the agitation.

Looking at them from an angle, it may be stated that there was no need to introduce these moves because they would simply make the protesters fly into a rage. The government may have something prudent in mind when it decided to become tough giving a clear message to the agitators that it could not be cowed down by them. At one stage, two of the steps forced senior Jamiat Ulema-e- Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Ataur Rehman to announce that his party agreement signed with the Islamabad administration [at the best of the federal government], deciding the rules of the game of the Azadi March is dead and gone. However, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman quickly did the damage control saying that the accord was in place because it was reached with the capital’s deputy commissioner (and not the federal government).

Two days back, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory (Pemra) directed the TV channels not to invite top JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah to current affairs programmes and news shows because he has been declared an “alien” by the National Database & Registration Authority (Nadra) that has cancelled and digitally impounded his Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC). The order has been religiously obeyed.

An interesting aspect is that according to the Pemra’s own order, the Nadra found the JUI-F leader an alien on October 11, but the regulator issued its directive to the TV channels on Oct 26. Before that the development was not publicly known. During this period, Hafiz Hamdullah participated in a large number of TV programmes, aggressively defending the Azadi March and harshly taking on the government every day. He was punished for his forceful views. It is established beyond doubt that he was born in Pakistan and had been Balochistan minister and senators for several years. At no point, was his citizenship ever disputed by any government institution or individual. He has contested at least six elections over the years.

A retired civil servant, who served as assistant commissioner in Chaman in 1987, said he knew Hafiz Hamdullah’s family very well and that the Nadra’s decision was wrong. The JUI-F leader’s father had a religious seminary on Mall Road, Chaman. The immediate result of the revocation of Hafiz Hamdullah’s Pakistani nationality was that the JUI-F was deprived of a vocal representative from TV talk shows at this crucial time of the Azadi March.

A day later, another outspoken JUI-F leader Mufti Kifayatullah was detained under the notorious Maintenance of Public Order (MPO). He has been accused of acting in a manner prejudicial to public order, safety and tranquillity, posing a constant threat to the law and order which may disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the district, and indulging in activities to defuse the writ of the government thus posing threat to the public peace/law and order in the district, creating hatred in the masses.

Mufti Kifayatullah is not known to have done any mobilisation in his native Mansehra area for the Azadi March. Therefore, there was no question of inciting the public. He has mostly been in the federal capital, from where he was arrested, to represent the JUI-F in several TV programmes on daily basis. He has been highly critical of the government and some of his co-participants. He is among a few JUI-F leaders, who have been taken into custody. For the time being, the party has lost another blunt spokesman.

Another official measure, which appeared to be provocative for the JUI-F, was the outlawing of its subordinate organisation, Ansarul Islam, and authorising the provinces to take action against it. The federal government concluded that the outfit “is capable of functioning as a military organization,” warranting action.

The notification said that after obtaining the consent of all provincial governments, the federal administration, through the Ministry of Interior, entrusts the provinces the power to take appropriate actions under Section 2 of the Private Military Organisations (Abolition and Prohibition) Act, 1974 against Ansarul Islam, which is a stick wielding subordinate outfit of the JUI-F and the law does not allow any type of armed militia.

The Ansarul Islam came in the limelight after it presented a guard of honour to Fazlur Rehman, which was perceived as a show of force against the government. At least 3,000 volunteers of the organisation are registered with the ECP, and their job is to provide security to the top leadership of JUI-F, and maintain discipline.

While a challenge to the ban, Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah observed that the restriction is prima facie infructuous. As the Azadi March was advancing towards Islamabad as per its schedule and emotions running high on its second, Prime minister Imran Khan stated that the aim of this protest was to blackmail his successful government. All the corrupt have gotten together but make no mistake whatever method of blackmailing they adopt, he will not give NRO (clemency, amnesty) till he was alive, he said, ignoring the fact that this is the time to hold his horses and cool down the high political temperature, heightened by the march.

Coming on the heels of the muddled situation, the Pemra has barred TV anchors from giving their opinions during talk shows and limited their role to moderators. It also directed the anchors hosting regular shows not to appear as experts in other programmes in their own or other channels. Media houses were also advised to select the guests in talk shows with utmost care and keeping in view their knowledge and expertise in a particular subject.

The order has been interpreted as curbing the expression of opinion about the Azadi March and government policies in a freakish manner. The Pemra warned the media houses of severe action in case of violation.

The notification deeply irked even some government leaders. Former Finance Minister Asad Umar tweeted: Amazing decision by Pemra to stop anchors to go on any other talk show and express their opinion! Pemra should be doing a better job taking action against completely fake news and not suppressing the right of individuals, including anchors, to express their opinion.

Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry also took to the Twitter and wrote that the Pemra notification to ban anchors to appear on other shows is uncalled for, illogical and unnecessary totally agree with.

Federal Minister Dr Shirin Mazari posted two tweets: Who is an “expert”? An interesting tho [though] unintended debate has been generated - so purely at an academic non-political level: Do I need a degree in politics to be an expert on politics? I have no degree in “human rights” so should I go on TV to discuss “human rights” issues? Do I need a degree in IR/Strategic Studies to discuss foreign/def [defence] policy? What degree do I need to talk about Information? Is expertise defined by a degree? Finally, we have a debate at an abstract level media shd [should] focus on! But what “experts” wld [would] be needed for such a debate on TV?