General
Musharaf would have not thought of the political scenario that has
emerged after five days of the martial law he imposed on 3rd
November. His hopes for a normality of the situation have been dashed
even after he has used the most vicious repression against the
advocates and political activists. More unpleasant surprises will come
in future for the military regime who was used to a rather stable
political control until now.
After advocates, now students are emerging on the political opposition to the military regime. Demonstrations took place on 7th
November 2007 in most of the public and private universities mainly in
the main cities of Pakistan. “Student power rises from slumber” was the
headline of News International on 8th November. All the
courts across Pakistan are on stand still and Pakistan Bar Council has
announced an indefinite strike till the new Provisional Constitutional
Order (PCO) is withdrawn. There have been daily demonstrations by the
advocates across Pakistan. This is an extra ordinary militancy shown by
the middle classes during this period.
Most
of the news papers in Pakistan are full of stories of the arrests,
demonstrations and strikes of different actors of the society. But it
is the fifth day; no private television channel has been allowed to
telecast their broadcasting in Pakistan. You can only watch songs,
dances, sports and religious readings on different channels but no news
bulletin is allowed apart from the official Pakistan Television.
The
most surprising opposition to the military regime has come from Benazir
Bhutto. She was in negotiation with Musharraf regime for a power
sharing formula. But the advocate movements intervened in this unholy
alliance forcing Benazir Bhutto to come up openly against the military
regime. Almost half of the arrested advocates belong to Pakistan
Peoples party. It left very little room for Benazir maneuvering playing
games with the regime. She asked the Pakistan masses to rise up against
the martial law of general Musharraf. “Restore the constitution or we
will have long march from Lahore to Islamabad on 13th
November” she warned the regime. This resulted the arrests of Pakistan
Peoples Party activists across the country. They were spared by the
regime in the first phase of repression started from 3rd November.
The
media organization of the bosses and employees are also joining the
mass movement after unprecedented repression against the electronic and
print media by the regime.
It was a black Monday on 5th
November for the stock exchanges in Pakistan. The stock exchange crash
resulted a net loss of four billion dollars in one day, unprecedented
in the history of last 17 years of the exchange.
His
close imperialist friends from US, UK and European Union have been
forces to condemn this imposition of emergency at least in word for the
first time since 9/11. Any gross violation of human rights in Pakistan
since 9/11 was always an internal matter for the US imperialism. Even
Australian imperialism is also condemning the sorry state of affair of
Pakistan and terming Musharraf “a dictator” for the first time, a fact
Pakistani people knew for eight years. But it seems General Musharraf
is trying to show his angry eyes even to his bosses, the same way the
religious fundamentalists are going out of the control of the military
regime in Pakistan. “You can never control a monster for long time” it
seems from the action of General Musharraf. Netherlands has suspended
the aid to Pakistan and US is reviewing its relationship with the
military regime according to the reports printed here.
The
movement is still growing in all sphere of life. This is despite an
unprecedented level of repression during the first five days of the
emergency; the real name is a martial law. The police entered the
office of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan arrested over 80 social
and political activists who were discussion their strategy to oppose
the military action. This was unheard in past, that police will enter
in this most prestigious independent building in Lahore. Police went in
the buildings of Lahore High Court and arrested over 700 advocates from
the chambers of the judges, libraries, bar rooms and canteen. This was
not done even under the most brutal martial law of General Zia Ul Haque
in the eighties.
According
to the home ministry in Punjab province, 1734 political activists,
journalists and advocates have been arrested during the first four days
of the martial law. Similar figures are stated by the administrations
of the other three provinces. This is the most
brutal repression of the opponents of the Musharraf regime during the
last eight years. The arrested advocates and political activists have
been charged with Anti Terrorist Act and they have been sent to far off
places from their home towns. No one can meet them.
Similar
repressive treatment has been the case of those judges of the Supreme
Court and High Courts of Pakistan who have courageously refused to take
oath under the new Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO). They are put
under house arrest and their children are not allowed to go to schools.
Doctors have been refused entries to their houses where they were
called for emergency treatments.
Police
is raiding the houses of the advocates and political opponents of the
military regime on regular basis. Pakistan has become a police and
military state in the real sense of the term. Police is seen every
where in the main cities. There has been an increase of thefts and
robberies during the last four days because police is only deployed to
curb the opposition of the regime.
General Musharraf is now having more opposition than ever among the general public in Pakistan.
Musharraf
is loosing his internal and external support on a fast speed. He has
almost lost the support of his most recent friend, Benazir Bhutto. The
religious parties have been forced to de-link their long lasting
relationship with the regime. The old alliances and formations are in
crisis. This is a real crisis of the Pakistan state. The regime is
becoming more isolated day by day. Now, it is only two political
parties supporting the regime, it is Muslim League Q and Muhajir Qaumi
Moveemnt, both are partner of the military government. But both are
hated more and more by ordinary citizens of Pakistan.
The
path of repression to control the opposition is loosing its weight day
by day. The state can not repress all growing voices against the
regime. The implementation of neo liberal agenda on a faster speed has
been marked by daily price hikes and growing unemployment. It is brutal
rule of the free market resulting the monopolizing the economy. The
growth of capitalist economy has not touched to the bottom line and the
bottom line is over 70 percent of the 160 million populations.
Several
activists of Awami Jamhoori Tehreek, the left alliance of seven
political parties and groups are under arrest including Nisar Shah,the
chair person Labour Party Pakistan. Abid Hassan Minto, the convener of
AJT and president of National Workers Party has asked all the left
forces to join the movement and fight the military regime. The Left is
not any more an insignificant force in Pakistan. The student uprising
against the regime is mainly the work of the left wing forces and
radical social activists.
The
regime can not last long. The movement is on and is growing. The
advocates unprecedented courage has influenced many and they are taking
the road of active opposition.
The
opposition to military regime will be strengthening by the active
solidarity of our friends and comrades outside Pakistan. The pickets of
the Pakistan embassies all over the world will be one the most
effective way of opposition. We are not alone, we know, but we need to
know more of it.
Farooq Tariq
general secretary
Labour Party Pakistan
40-Abbot Road Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: 92 42 6315162 Fax: 92 42 6271149 Mobile: 92 300 8411945,