Pakistan's struggle for democracy: The lawyers' movement one year on (+ video)

By Farooq Tariq, Lahore

March 7, 2008 -- 2008 will be a year of decisive struggle in Pakistan. Over the past year an advocates' (lawyers') movement rose to confront the dictatorship of President Pervez Musharraf. Its aim is to create an atmosphere where the judiciary can work independently, without being under the influence of any regime, whether military or civil.

Only a year old, it has achieved impressive results.

The movement began on March 9, 2007, when the chief justice of the Supreme Court, Iftikhar Chaudhry, responded negatively to the request from five generals -- including Musharraf -- that he voluntarily resign. Offered several other lucrative posts, he responded with a firm ``No'', resulting his immediate arrest and termination from the Supreme Court.

Video: interview with Farooq Tariq

Why did the generals want to get rid of Pakistan's chief justice? His decisions were blocking growing repression and the implementation of Musharraf's neoliberal agenda. After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, thousands of Pakistanis simply disappeared; Chaudhry publicly questioned their disappearance. He tried to force accountability from the country's powerful secret service. Chaudhry issued a decision against the privatisation of the country's largest industrial unit, the Pakistan Steel Mill Karachi.

Chaudhry was operating like a human rights activist, doing his best to address the question of growing human rights violations. He took special notice of anti-woman traditions and customs and prohibited the selling and trading of women.

Musharraf did not foresee the mass reaction Chaudhry's arrest and termination would cause, since there were no other examples of prominent people standing up to his brutal and high-handed actions.

Chaudhry's ``No'' was a landmark in the history of the judiciary. Every previous military coup had been legitimised by the country's top judges. Out of the 61 years of so-called independence, Pakistan has spent 32 years under military rule.

As the private television channels broadcast the news of Chaudhry's dismissal and arrest, leading lawyers were asked for their opinion. Every one explained it as an extraordinary action: there was no previous record of such an action against the chief justice. They called on other lawyers to come forward in a mass response.

Year One of the Pakistan lawyers' movement is unprecedented, and there have been several ups and downs. It has witnessed ugly scenes of police and army brutality, but the lawyers never gave up. One of the main characteristics of this marvellous movement is its clear demand, which was accepted by every one: the demand for an independent judiciary. The Musharraf dictatorship is clearly seen as a brutal regime trying to curb the rising consciousness of independent judicial system.

Three phases

The movement lead by the lawyers can be divided in three phases:

• The beginning phase, ending on July 20, 2007, when an 11-member bench of Supreme Court Pakistan reinstated Chaudhry.

• The second phase, from July 20 until November 3, 2007, when the Musharraf dictatorship imposed an emergency degree.

• The third phase, from the imposition of the emergency until the general elections on 18 February, 2008.

During the first phase, leaders of the lawyers' movement did not directly attack Musharraf. They also asked Chaudhry not to speak to the media. Instead they built an effective base by speaking to bar associations across the country. This meant that they did not immediately seem to be doing anything out of the ordinary.

Chaudhry toured the country by road to speak to various bar councils. His caravan was welcomed by hundred of thousands of ordinary people. But he did not speak a single word to the press. He concentrated on making general democratic remarks at the bar council meetings, which were open only to lawyers. Political activists made no fuss about this exclusion but cooperated with the lawyers.

These rallies were the largest mobilisations during the years of the Musharraf dictatorship and signalled the lawyers' total support for Chaudhry. This method of proceeding meant that he was speaking ``under the radar''. It did not seem that he was organising a ``political'' campaign against the regime. In this manner Chaudhry was able to speak about the political situation without being ``political''.

Initially the leaders of the lawyers' movement were divided over whether they wanted participation from political parties. Some argued that parties might create problems or take over the movement. Some feared that if they invited the political parties, then the religious fundamentalist parties would gain control and they did not want to see that happen.

During the first month there was a fierce debate among the lawyers' elected bodies over these questions. After coming to the conclusion that they could not win the struggle on their own, they invited all the civil society organisations to participate.

When Chaudhry's case was scheduled to be heard by the Supreme Court, the lawyers called for a *gherao* at the court (a gherao is a picket line, a practice used by the industrial working class all over the world). This very popular tactic of picketing was used effectively by the lawyers' movement and made headlines in all the main electronic and print media.

The media popularised the movement to such an extent that the Musharraf dictatorship responded by introducing new laws to curb the growing radicalisation of the media.

In its first phase the lawyers' movement was able to mobilise and unify the 80,000-strong lawyers' community. The bar associations across the country have deeply democratic traditions, including yearly elections. Those who have been elected don't run the following year so that there is a constant development of new leadership. These democratic traditions enable the lawyers to develop an evolving leadership that is always alive and deserving of respect. Normally, once a decision is taken, all lawyers follow. Those within the lawyers' community who were not supportive of restoring Chaudhry to his office were socially isolated and, in many cases, their licenses to practice were suspended by the Pakistan Bar Council.

In this first phase, the state tried to suppress the movement by arresting the lawyers, and dispersing the demonstrations and rallies by force. But this did not succeed. Every repressive act motivated more militant actions. The lawyers' black coats became respectable dress and many ordinary Pakistanis bought black coats from second-hand shops just in order to get such respect.

Mass movement

The lawyers organised weekly demonstrations, usually every Thursday. It was mainly the young lawyers, who found new hope in the shape of this movement and its weekly actions. Young and particularly female lawyers showed absolute bravery as they fought pitched battles with the police. It was their first political action and they brought new energy to the movement.

The main political parties that fully supported the movement and participated in the weekly actions were the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Tehreek Insaaf, the Labour Party Pakistan (LPP), Khaksaar Tehreek, National Workers Party and Awami Tehreek. Activists of these parties were arrested several times for the crime of participating in the rallies.

Most of the radical non-government organisations and movements also fully supported this movement. Their support gave new meaning to civil society organisation. The concept, ``civil society organisation'', became well known because of the total support to the movement. In fact everyone participating in this unique movement earned respect from all sections of society.

The first victory

The full bench of the Supreme Court, which was hearing Chaudhry's case, decided to reinstate the chief justice on July 20, 2007. This was a historic victory of a mass movement and was not viewed as ``political''.

Chaudhry immediately took office, became chief justice once more after a nearly four-month interval. Following his reinstatement, he began releasing political prisoners. He ordered the immediate recovery of missing persons; and some were eventually released by intelligence agencies. He stopped the construction of high-rise buildings that violated the building code. He didn't let corruption within the state go unnoticed.

Chaudhry now had the full support of the other top judges, as well as those who already had become ``people friendly'', the lawyers' community and the people of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the regime was angrily waiting for a time to take action against the top judges once again. The Musharraf dictatorship, already unpopular, was weakened by Chaudhry's reinstatement. The power of the judiciary was contesting the power of the military generals and bureaucrats. In that sense there were some elements of dual power at work within the country.

Unfortunately, when the case of whether Musharraff would be allowed to stand for president in coming elections came before the Supreme Court, it hesitated in issuing a decision. The Supreme Court had provisionally allowed him to contest the election, but his candidacy was challenged because the constitution does not allow the same person to be president and chief of the army at the same time. Additionally, he was elected by a pro-Musharraf parliament that had been seated since 2002 and was overdue for re-election. In fact, Musharraf was ``elected'' with the shameful support of the PPP, which opted not to oppose Musharraf's candidacy and abstained from the vote.

Ruling class manoeuvres

In fact, the late PPP leader Benazir Bhutto, then living in exile, was in contact with Musharraf to work out a power-sharing deal. But the two sides were afraid of the rising power of a movement that could challenge their own political hegemony.

Benazir saw an opportunity to come to power once again. Both the US and British governments had lost confidence in Musharraf's ability to fight effectively as their partner in the so-called war on terror and pushed this unholy alliance as the means through which Musharraf would be able to continue to rule.

For his part, Musharraf needed to regain time following the failure of his attempt to unseat Chaudhry. So, reluctantly, he went to the negotiating table with Bhutto.

The PPP also had considerable influence among the lawyers' movement. While the main leadership of the lawyers' movement was now calling for Musharraf's resignation, the PPP directed its leaders not to raise this demand. This created confusion and division among the lawyers' community all over Pakistan. The majority wanted to push ahead and end the military dictatorship, but now there was division in their own ranks.

It took two months of fierce debate and discussion among the lawyers' elected bodies to work out their future course of action. Finally, an absolute majority came out in favour of continuing the movement. It decided to continue its weekly rallies, although, without the presence of the PPP activists, these did not have the same power as earlier.

Meanwhile, after striking a deal with Musharraf, Bhutto returned to Pakistan from eight years of exile. The state withdrew all outstanding charges of corruption against her in the name of ``national reconciliation''. The day of her arrival, October 18, 2007, religious fundamentalists carried out a suicide attack on the caravan welcoming her. This attack killed more than 150 people.

Musharraf strikes first

Musharraf could not be sure what would be the Supreme Court's final decision about his eligibility to be president and opted to strike first. On November 3, 2007, he suspended the constitution once again and arrested all the top judges. He introduced a new Provisional Constitutional Order and demanded all of the top judges to take a new oath under the PCO. To his surprise, more than 60 top judges refused. In the fight against the military dictatorship, Chaudhry was now joined by two-thirds of his colleagues. All were placed under house arrest, but it was difficult for the regime to find judges who would take its oath.

The PCO was the second martial law decree issued by Musharraf in the name of the supposed ``emergency''. There was a new wave of terror with more than 25,000 lawyers and political activists arrested and private television channels closed down.

After a month the arrested advocates were released, and so were most of the political activists. But the constitution was hobbled with repressive amendments giving power to the military to try any civilian in military courts. The independent judiciary had been eliminated, the movement suppressed.

Having done his homework, Musharraf then announced a general election for January 8, 2008. In this repressive situation the lawyers' movement appealed to all political parties to boycott the general election. They argued that by participating they would be legitimising Musharraf's dictatorial measures.

With the vast majority of the lawyers in favour of boycotting, the political scene was divided into two distinctive trends, those advocating the boycott and those participating in the election. Unfortunately the two main parties opted to contest the election.

With both the pro-election campaign and the boycott movement gaining steam, Bhutto's assassination on December 27, 2007, altered the political scenario. A mass reaction against the assassination brought a wave of sympathy for the PPP. Musharraf was isolated to an extent never seen before.

Added to that factor was the country's economic collapse. These factors caused a decisive change in the consciousness of the Pakistan working class. Its passive negativism toward the regime turned into active opposition.

Had the PPP leadership opted to boycott the general elections -- now postponed until February 18, 2008 -- and demanded the resignation of Musharraf, the scenario would have been different. Musharraf would have had no choice. But the PPP once again ignored the advice of the lawyers' movement and decided to take part in the general election.

Those who went to polls on February 18 voted against the pro-Musharraf political parties. But whichever side one was on over the question of participating in the elections, and whichever tactics employed, everyone was united in their opposition to Musharraf.

We have now entered the next phase of the unfolding struggle. The question remains: Will those coming to power reinstate the judiciary (a popular demand that would be very difficult to ignore), force Musharraf out and restore the Constitution? Such a step would be the first toward building an independent democratic society where exploitation should be a word of the past. The building of a genuine democratic socialist Pakistan is the only way forward.

[Farooq Tariq is spokesperson for the Labour Party Pakistan. Email labour_party@yahoo.com. Visit http://www.laborpakistan.org or http://www.jeddojuhd.com.]

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Submitted by Terry Townsend on Thu, 04/03/2008 - 11:59

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Found Not Guilty
By Farooq Tariq 
1 April 2008

An Anti Terrorist Court in Lahore acquitted all 11 of us on the charges of terrorism. There were 10 Brik Kiln workers from Pakistan Bhatta Mazdoor Union, one from Muslim League Nawaz and myself who were charged on 27 September under false allegations of attacking a police convey.

It was alleged that a procession under my leadership came from McLeod Road to join the demonstration of advocates on 27 September 2007. When the police told them that under section 144, no more than five people can get together and stopped, they got heated and attacked the police. The demonstrators from Labour Party Pakistan and they injured some police officers and torn their uniforms.

That was a total lie; the fact was that over 200 activists from Labour Party Pakistan joined hand with advocate on day in a demonstration. After the demonstration, I was arrested on my way back to my home. I had earlier gone into hiding for few days. The police had come to my home to arrest me but I avoided the arrest. The police wanted to arrest me and other LPP activists to stop our participation in the demonstrations. Police also arrested 11 brick kiln workers union members and leaders who are members of Labour Party Pakistan as well. They were also returning to their office when they were apprehended. The Musalim League Nawaz leader was arrested from a different area.

We only came to know during the evening that we have been charged with 7 ATA. The maximum sentence is death. Police fabricated a story about us. We were sent to Lahore Camp jail after day at a police lock up.

We were released in few days on bail and some of the best advocates of Pakistan represented us voluntarily including Asma Jehanghir, the chairperson of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

While I was in Amsterdam airport on 6 March 2008, I got a call from Pakistan that I must go to the Anti Terrorist Court on 7 March. Police had come to LPP office with a warrant to arrest me, because I was unable to attend one hearing at the court. I went to the court straight from the Lahore airport.

From 7 March till 28 March 2008, we were in the court for 6 times. The brick kiln workers had to come from far off places, they were not from Lahore. Three of them had to travel overnight. But we all made to the court in time, right at 8am.

The police brought four eyewitnesses during the proceeding, all from the police department. All of them took oath on Quran that they will speak the truth and all of them lied in the court. We were all surprised that how easy for the police officers to tell lie even after they take an oath. While I asked the two of them after the hearing of the case, why are you telling lies in the court that we have attacked you, they told directly, we know that we are lying but we had to do the job.

On the last day of the hearing, the station house officer of police (SHO) appeared in the court. Our advocate Rabia Bajwa exposed his lies quite clearly. During the three hours hearing on the last day, Rabia told the court that it is political case, that Farooq have thirty years of history of political activism and has never been charged of terrorism. All of them have participated in the demonstration of the advocates. They are all proud of it. However, they were arrested at the time of going back and not that they confronted the police using violence. She presented several new papers cutting to prove her arguments.

The judge Muqarab Khan was known as a loyalist to the regime, so our advocate was quite worries. I was sure that we will be acquitted. I told our advocate on the day while we were waiting for the final decision of the court “It will be good if he announce any punishment for us. At least in this political atmosphere this will not be accepted by any political party and it will help to develop the movement”. But the judge denied us of this opportunity and declared that all of us are found not guilty and can go home.

I am still waiting other few cases to come up in the courts, if the new government does not withdraw them. The new government of PPP has declared that it will review all the cases registered against the political activists and advocates.

Farooq Tariq
spokesperson
Labour Party Pakistan
40-Abbot Road Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: 92 42 6315162 Fax: 92 42 6271149 Mobile: 92 300 8411945
http://www.laborpakistan.org  http://www.jeddojuhd.com

Submitted by Terry Townsend on Tue, 04/15/2008 - 10:09

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Lahore demonstration against MQM

By Farooq Tariq

10 April 2008

On Thursday, April 10, 2008 over 3000 lawyers demonstrated in Lahore against the brutal burning of 6 advocates in Karachi by MQM gangsters.

We wrote around 20 playcards against the killings. It was “no to MQM killings, Musharaf MQM a gang of murderers, MQM is a fascist organisation, No to MQM fascism, It was not fight between two lawyers group but a planned attack by MQM, murderer the MQM”

We were around fifty altoghether when we arrived at Awan Adal, here the Lahore Bar Association had planned to take out the demonstration.

We went inside the hall where speakers were condemning the Karachi killings. There were over a dozen women activist of LPP with us. We all stood in a line holding the playcards inside the hall. The advocates were reading the playcard with a real anger in their eyes. Then one of us raised a slogan, no to MQM murderers, the response was massive. It uplifted the mood of anger.

We came out of the hall with the advocates and the emotions were very high so were the slogans. May be not a single lawyer who was not participating in raising the slogans.

At Lahore High Court, several hundreds more joined us. The media was around our contingent all the time. They were taking the pictures of our playcards which had very clear message and has caught the mood of the demonstrators. At Charing Cross on Mall Road, the highly charged demonstration ended. The defensive mood of some after the beating of Sher Afghan Niazi, a former minister, had changed into a real anger against the dictatorship.

We were the only group carrying playcards. It helped to change the mood and a clear message of fighting back.

The BBC and several others printed the playcards and several private television channels showed the footage of the demonstration.

In the afternoon, another demonstration along with CMKP activists and lawyers was organised at Shimla Pehari Chouck.

We received several calls by the lawyers thanking for participating at a crucial time.

Submitted by Terry Townsend on Mon, 05/12/2008 - 09:25

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http://youtube.com/watch?v=XPsr1RnEfWo

"Main Nay Kaha" is a satirical poem by the famous leftist poet Habib Jalib called "Musheer" (Advisor). Jalib wrote it in response to a conversation he had with Hafiz Jalandari during the time of Ayub Khan's dictatorship. It remains just as fresh and valid today.

The music video contains real images of events in Karachi, London and Lahore during the tumultuous period between December 27 and February 18. The song and video were recorded on a shoe-string budget of one session each.

This video and song are connected to a documentary on a journey through a life-changing period in the history of Pakistan. The journey begins in Pakistan on the eve of the assassination of Benazir and the ensuing grief, violence, and carnage. The film maker travels to London to discover a group of young activists organising protests against emergency rule. Following these activists full circle to Pakistan, the documentary captures the events around the 2008 elections. The film thus captures a moment in the life of Pakistan, from Benazir's assassination to the elections, through the lens of young activists. The documentary by Widei Films will also be released shortly.

Translation:

I said this to him
These hundred million
Are the epitome of ignorance
Their conscience has gone to sleep
Every ray of hope
Is lost in the darkness
This news is true
They are the living dead
Completely mindless
A disease of life
And you hold in your hands
The cure for their ills

You are the light of God
Wisdom and knowledge personified
The nation is with you
It is only through your grace
That the nation can be saved
You are the light of a new morning
After you there is only night
The few who speak out
Are all mischief makers
You should tear out their tongues
You should throttle their throats

Those proud of their eloquence
Their tongues are completely silent
There is calm in the land
There is an unexampled difference
Between yesterday and today
Only at their own expense
Are people in prison, under your rule

China
China is our friend
We'd give our lives for her
But the system that they have
Steer well clear of that
>From far away say "salaam"
These hundred million asses
That are named the masses
Could surely never become rulers
You are the truth; they're an illusion
My prayer is that
You remain President forever


Credits:
Habib Jalib - Mainay Uss Say Yeh Kaha
Shahram Azhar - Vocals
Taimur Rahman - Music
Mahvash Waqar - Backing Vocals
Taimur Khan - Director Producer
Dita Peskova - Assistant Director
Jamie Mill - Recording Director
Laal & Taimur Khan - Music Producer
WIDEi Films - Production Company

Submitted by Terry Townsend on Wed, 06/11/2008 - 16:49

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Thousands join Long March in Pakistan

http://www.asia-pacific-action.org/node/53

By Farooq Tariq
Thousands of lawyers, political, trade unions and social movement activists are on their way to Islamabad. They are participating in the Long March called by the lawyer's movement. This is to push the Pakistan Peoples Party government to restore the top judges without any conditions.
The Long March started from Karachi on June 9, 2008, arrived in Sukhar at early hours of June 10. Here they were joined by the participants of different groups from Baluchistan. They arrived at Multan on June 10 late hours, where the deposed chief justice Iftikhar Choudary had arrived to welcome this rally. They are still at Multan at the time of writing this report on the morning of 11 June. They would leave for Lahore around 1pm.
At Lahore, thousands will go to Lahore airport at 5pm to receive the chief justice Iftikhar Choudary and other deposed judges. The caravan will come to Lahore High Court where Iftikhar Choudary will speak to a convention of lawyers.
On June 12, the participants of the Long March will leave for Islamabad. The lawyer's leadership has not yet announced the plans for Islamabad. But it is understood that the activists will Gherao (picket) the parliament.
Labour Party Pakistan activists have joined the Long March from Karachi and on the way and they are joined by other LPP activists. They will be joined by another 50 LPP activists from Lahore. At Islamabad, the LPP is setting up camp to welcome the Long March participants.
The Long March was called after the newly elected parliament failed to restore the top judges as promised before the general elections. Image removed.The Pakistan Peoples Party had promised to restore the judges within one month of coming to power but failed to do so. They want these judges restored through a constitutional package that include many conditions on the freedom of the judiciary. The lawyer's movement started on 9 March 2007 is entering its decisive phase. The Long March has caught up the imaginations of many workers and peasants and has started to join the movement.

Farooq Tariq
spokesperson
Labour Party Pakistan
40-Abbot Road Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: 92 42 6315162 Fax: 92 42 6271149 Mobile: 92 300 8411945
labour_party@... www.laborpakistan.org www.jeddojuhd.com