The wheelchair-bound cleric’s siege of the capital wasn’t a first. In recent years, Maulana Tahir-ul-Qadri had also had a go at the exercise. Twice. As did the PTI.
What really set in sit-in apart, then? Let’s have at it, in ascending order.
First: the man swears like a sailor. Yes, we know that this is only a minor detail in the larger picture. But ignore it at your peril; because this swashbuckling swagger was also conveying a message. A message that was also unequivocally stated during the sit-in: we care about neither government, nor the law of the land, nor what is supposedly decent behaviour. During Tahir-ul-Qadri’s affairs in ‘13 and ‘14, the man, despite his shameless powergrab, kept speaking about his intention to remain non-violent and an adherence to “constitutionalism,” whatever that meant. No such niceties here. As Rizvi’s constant eulogies for Mumtaz Qadri implied, we have people everywhere, even the ones entrusted to protect you. One word from this stage….
Second: the issue at hand. An alleged change – a clerical error, maintains the government – in the eligibility for legislators which, according to most experts, wasn’t much of a change to begin with. Rizvi and his ilk, on the other hand, thought it favoured the country’s already beleaguered Ahmadi community. Not only did they want it reversed, they wanted a complete list of those who were “responsible” so that they could be punished. Law minister Zahid Hamid’s life is already in danger for the foreseeable future, regardless of how much the issue is “resolved.” This is not comparable with the PTI’s demands in ‘14 which was only the recounting of votes of specific polling booths outside the framework of the election commission. A violation of the terms under which all parties agree to contest elections, yes. But not quite the specific how-dare-you sabre-rattling towards an elected government whose electoral legitimacy was not being challenged.
Resolution: allegations of the involvement of the establishment in such matters are never far. But the reported refusal of the military to use force, and the open appeal for “both sides” to cool down really vindicated the rumour mills. The video of the DG Rangers distributing money amongst the participants sort of sealed the deal in the public mind.
An air of national despondency ensued. Is it so easy to take the state hostage?
Singer (and former Pakistan Today columnist) Ali Aftab Saeed – put it best in his latest song: Ye mulk nazriati hai, tere khyal mein. Tu, tera khyal, teri paenn di siri.
