Instant Fix & Mixed Messages

Nilofer’s Corner : Instant Fix & Mixed Messages.

Returning home after 3 months a sense of relief descended. Pakistan has a way of remaining on the edge like no other country, and I have had the fortunate of living in a few. The chaotic madness at the airport with no one in charge was a decent hint for things to come.

Tahir ul Qadiri’s arrival in Islamabad, and his strangest of exists has left many questions and certainly a deep impression. I did not expect a peaceful gathering of thousands over several days was possible, not in Pakistan, not in our DNA, but it happened. I suppose if we can queue quietly at Heathrow airport and remain civilized on most occasions when we are outside of the land of pure, those instincts Can be called upon, occasionally, inside the land of the pure? Speaking to the young in the TUQ dharna, I was impressed by the Jazba & the clarity of why they were peacefully protesting. Poppy cock I would say to those who tried and continue to argue, that the protesters were mere lambs hypnotized by a charlatan.

I found the arguments of some of the critics, these were merely preacher TUQ’s followers, frankly a little irrelevant.  Bewildering how the people at the Dharna have been completely overlooked in the intense campaign to discredit, ridicule and shift attention away from the elephant in the room, on the eve of (possible change) elections why were so many men, women and children protesting for relief and reform?

What has brought out Pakistan’s middle class out on the streets? These folk are socially conservative, leaving the confines of their homes and protected spaces requires a little more insight than has been given. Some of us have taken Dharna’s for granted, this is an uncommon phenomenon in our parts and when large ones occur it is an event of consideration. Dismissing this is merely doing disservice to the thousands if not tens of thousands of one of us. Yes one of us.

The middle class in Pakistan is conservative, religious and traditionally does not participate in mainstream politics. The urban vote has been indifferent to the political process-so far. The religious and conservative parties PML N and JI & JUI have an urban profile but the brand of religious political leanings has been Salafi infused ideas; TUQ supporters on the other hand are from the Bareli school of thought; religious and conservative but from my observation and conversations, different from the Saudiazation of Pakistani urban religious mindset. Superficially, their garb, greetings& headgear would suggest the influence of the Arabs, but what they believed in, if we bothered to listen to them, was most definitely not. There concerns included basic needs, the lack of security, absence of jobs and rampant corruption at every level of living. Concerns most citizens should be demanding of their elected leaders. Tolerant interpretation of faith, accepting of non-Muslims as equal citizens of Pakistan; these are radical ideas coming from the religiously inclined.

This seriously ‘secular’ or ‘all are equal under the law principle’ I would have expected from one of our mainstream fake liberal political parties not from a conservative religious group?  Further I did not see any support of anarchy or  rejecting the Constitution  of Pakistan. The running grievances were centralized around the idea of reforming the existing system. There was a very strong sense that the existing system is designed to malfunction, a system which refuses to reform.

Remarkably calm peaceful and determined, the usually emotional Pakistani in a group environment surprised everyone. Not a ‘leaf moved out of place’ as the preacher promised. In the middle of Islamabad’s commercial district with shops, bakeries, electronic stores worth millions nothing was touched. These citizens of Pakistan wanted to register their discontent with the democratically elected leaders on the eve of the elections. Perhaps, finally, the silent majority that we speak of, which aren’t ‘radical’ or ‘violent’ have arrived? Not sure if anyone was listening or paying any attention?

For the democrats in Pakistan, if these protesters, from the heart of Punjab represent our middle class sentiments as well, we need to reflect on the hypocrisy of our own liberal discourse. As liberals we profess ideals of democracy, tolerant values in social political life but do not reflect on our public posturing. The constant support to groups both political and non-which clearly deviate from any notions of egalitarian values or mores in behavior cannot continue. In the garb of defending liberal ideals we nurture the cancer that eats the fiber of our social political existence. Why do we continue to defend political platform(s) that have little vision for the future for ordinary Pakistanis?  Drumming up the dead, who have by no means any record of defending liberal ideals, furthering an imagined myth continuing the servitude of millions fed by a dream, which cannot be fulfilled, is criminal. We have blood on our hands as they say. Class (interests) seems to be permanent and form temporary.

A sleepy section of Pakistan’s middle class has politically awakened. What can we do to sustain their tolerant values towards a democratic polity? What strategies can one adopt? Fight intolerance with tolerance? What kind of tolerance is acceptable to the people of Pakistan? As an Islamic republic, do we need religion to fight religion? Is this the new strategy? Some have argued by using religion would cede space to the idea that the religious can only ‘make sense’ to ‘these people’, which for some of us secularist would be difficult to digest. How do we introduce a rational form of political discourse where ‘god’ isn’t invoked to end an argument? Agreed. But then how do we converse with 40% of our urban/peri urban literate population, who also demand  ‘a platform of trust’? How do we engage with a group that has lost its trust with both the mainstream political parties? These parties may have not been proven guilty by our courts but have certainly been pronounced guilty and condemned by the vast public. The argument that this has been a sustained campaign against the politicians by the security establishment and their handmaidens doesn’t suffice alone given the very public abuse of power and financial corruption evident in daily life. Hence how do we engage with the angry urban millions?

Was TUC using the lack of ‘roti kapra aur makan’ a genuine grievance resonating through millions of souls ready to be led towards a better Pakistan playing another geo political game? Is the reason why he arrived from Canada recently about ensuring a shift of foreign policy objectives instead of strengthening social security in Pakistan? Have these two ideas converged in the minds of the powers that be?

This is where TUQ seems to have been provided a space by god knows whom. Is the preacher with many flaws the magic silver bullet to the Salafi narrative? Killing pretty much anyone who isn’t Punjabi or Wahhabi isn’t very sensible, or controllable it seems? To counter this radicalism, starting with the heart of Punjab, a religious interpretation that is familiar, indigenous and tolerant? Berelvi politics absent from mainstream politics up till now, a tool perhaps for those who want to maintain a democratic order in Pakistan without upsetting too many carts?  The million-dollar question, who is getting manipulated?

I digress, like so many; what about the women, children and men who genuinely have grievances against the powers that be? How can we reassure the middle class of Pakistan that the existing system is a process they should engage in? They must vote; feel assured their vote will count? The candidates will reflect in words and in behavior the needs of their constituents?  The hollowness of give the system ‘time’ isn’t going to cut it with these educated folk. How can we reassure them when any step to try and strengthen, improve, tighten obvious loopholes, are ignored? Once again liberal democrats and not so liberal democrats cannot merely banter the word democracy without admitting their hypocrisy. Democracy means power of the people. Voting isn’t the only indicator of this idea; candidates must be worthy of this honorable responsibility. Here in lies our dilemma. Who do we consider ‘worthy’ of this honor? Which is more important loyalty to a myth or truthfulness to the people of Pakistan? How we support the people of Pakistan in the coming days, leading up to the election is on us.