The last march?

14 August, 2014, could be our swan song

It was October 1958 when I, at the age of five years, stood with my father to greet Khan Qayyum Khan’s long march. With rose petals and garlands the people of Lahore waited to welcome the future prime minister (PM) of Pakistan.

Khan sahib was a stalwart of the Independence Movement. A lawyer by profession, he was a man of integrity with solid democratic credentials, leading the movement. It was perhaps the longest march in the history of the country. While the public waited for him in the city, he was arrested at Shahdara and lodged in the dungeons of the infamous Lahore Fort.

Opinions differ but it is widely believed that the founding fathers of the country waged a relentless struggle for freedom but lacked the capability to govern. Despite their honesty and integrity, they were unable to formulate the constitution till 1956. But once the first Islamic Republic of the world came into existence under Babu and honourary Major General Iskandar Mirza as president, with elections scheduled for 1958, there was no justification for the military takeover by an otherwise very ordinary soldier. Ayub Khan (PA-10) had a very poor track record of service. As Major he was reprimanded on the Burma front during the Second World War. Then as Lt Colonel in-charge of border security, he was again in hot waters for refugee massacre. Finally, he got unfavourable remarks as Brigadier from the Father of the Nation. The rise of such a mediocre officer, first as Commander-in-Chief (CNC) and then head of the state, needs to be researched.

Loyal to his masters, he replaced the founding fathers of the country with ‘demons’ and ‘thugs’ like the Chaudhrys of Gujrat, Bhinders of Guranwala, Wattoos of Okara, Khuros of Sindh, Khattaks of KP etc. Through this ‘demon network’ Pakistan was plundered, forcing the youth to challenge the hegemony of the state apparatus.

In the vacuum of leadership the comrades of the first generation of Pakistan came on to the streets. There were pitched battles on the Mall with young chargers of Quaid’s country on one side and the brute force of status quo on the other. Our long marches had started when we were still in our teens. Despite the use of excessive force, the students of the 1960s brought down the government of Ayub Khan, the first khaki usurper.

Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) launched a movement against Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (ZAB) on charges of rigging in the 1977 elections. Pir Pagaro led a long march to Islamabad. Finally the negotiations started and consensus was building on fresh elections but the unnecessary delay and deadlock in resolving the crisis provided room for the angels to act.

In 2007 the Lawyers’ Movement was extraordinary. Ably led by comrade Aitzaz Ahsan, the forces of status quo were cornered. There were a series of marches on Islamabad, some small to the Chief Justice’s house while others were large. The march on November 16, 2007, was unprecedent in the history of Pakistan. It was perhaps the largest mobilisation/movement of humans after the partition of the subcontinent. The journey from Lahore to Islamabad on G T Road was completed in over 20 hours. On route the marchers were welcomed with flowers, food and musical bands. Change was in the air with forces of status quo crumbling. It seemed that our struggle for a democratic country had borne fruit and it was time for us to hang our boots, but like the past the marchers were betrayed by the ‘demons of democracy’ within our own ranks. The chargers came back empty handed, Musharraf survived and the Chief Justice of Pakistan remained in custody. Senator Aitzaz had to cut a sorry figure.

On August 14, 2014, we will march again with the Kaptaan. The negotiations have been started to resolve the impasse but it seems lessons have not been learnt. In 1977, ZAB and his party were clear favourites to win the elections, yet in their zeal for absolute majority rigging was done in some constituencies through the Election Cell within the ISI. In 2013, PML-N led the pack, yet they indulged in stuffing of ballot boxes, thereby tarnishing the sanctity of the electoral process. Fresh elections are the only way out to put an end to this malpractice together with major electoral reforms. Delay to resolve the issue can be disastrous.

‘Demons’ cannot be reformed. Exorcism is the age-old tested method to deal with them. This may be our last march to put Pakistan back on the democratic path. Our struggle against the four usurpers (Ayub, Yahya, Zia, Musharraf) should not go in vain. The marchers must learn from their mistakes. In order to prevail this time around the chargers must be clean and ‘demon’ free. The ‘lotas’ and ‘luteras’ have to be left behind, not carried as dirty laundry as we have been doing in the past.

We, the comrades of the first generation of Pakistan, are the only viable link of the founding fathers with the youth. Despite the brutalities of the state apparatus we have repeatedly corrected the course of our nation with our blood and sacrifice. As mortals we too are fading away. This is our swan song for the motherland, the best for the last march in order to bring constitutional democracy and rule for law. Like the famous Long March of Mao Tse Tung that transformed China, this is our march which should transform the county.

As the future of the nation is at stake the chargers have to be credible and untainted. There is no room for the compromised and dubious individuals who have dodged and stalled change in the past. Kaptaan sb, this is your moment in history. In order to succeed you need to lead an A-Team of untainted and uncompromised individuals with solid democratic credentials. To hand over Quaid’s country to the youth is the sacred duty of the first born-free generation of Pakistan; we cannot fail the nation at this critical juncture.