End of a farce
There has been no change — beyond damaged green belts in Islamabad from where desperate ‘marchers’ cut down wood.
Qadri announcing the end to the march. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
The surreal drama in Islamabad has finally ended. At least for the sake of humanity, we should be pleased. The tiny children brought out to spend three days in the open, as cold winds lashed the capital, can now return home. Through this duration, Dr Tahirul Qadri, even while speaking eloquently of equality for all, had remained comfortably housed in his bullet-proof, heated, luxury caravan as the people he urged to stay on fought to survive.
And what has been achieved at the end of all this? The coalition government’s final discussions with Dr Qadri, intended it seems essentially to end the sit-in by offering him a ‘face-saving’, really produced little. It had already been said that assemblies would be dissolved after March 16, when their term ended. This was reiterated in the largely meaningless draft. The provision for polls after 90 days is also a constitutional requirement, rather than a condition forced by Dr Qadri. The only point of some contention is that Dr Qadri would choose the caretaker head. This violates what is legally laid down, with this right lying with the government and opposition. The agreement that ‘discussion’ will be held on electoral reforms and that ‘honest’ persons will be chosen, in real terms means little. We all know discussions and words usually lead nowhere.
So, in concrete terms, nothing has changed. There is greater political consensus on the need for democracy without disruption — and Dr Qadri may have brought greater focus on corruption. But that is all. We can only wonder why so many followed him. Yes, this does demonstrate a yearning for a new order; but it also indicates an inbuilt tendency to follow pirs and soothsayers with little thought. It is hard to understand quite what Dr Qadri himself had in mind. Certainly, he has gained publicity — but nothing resembling the ‘revolution’ he promised. In the final analysis, there has been no change — beyond damaged green belts in Islamabad from where desperate ‘marchers’ cut down wood. The antics we saw are a reminder that revolutions are not instant affairs and nor can constitutions simply be swept aside.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th, 2013.
And what has been achieved at the end of all this? The coalition government’s final discussions with Dr Qadri, intended it seems essentially to end the sit-in by offering him a ‘face-saving’, really produced little. It had already been said that assemblies would be dissolved after March 16, when their term ended. This was reiterated in the largely meaningless draft. The provision for polls after 90 days is also a constitutional requirement, rather than a condition forced by Dr Qadri. The only point of some contention is that Dr Qadri would choose the caretaker head. This violates what is legally laid down, with this right lying with the government and opposition. The agreement that ‘discussion’ will be held on electoral reforms and that ‘honest’ persons will be chosen, in real terms means little. We all know discussions and words usually lead nowhere.
So, in concrete terms, nothing has changed. There is greater political consensus on the need for democracy without disruption — and Dr Qadri may have brought greater focus on corruption. But that is all. We can only wonder why so many followed him. Yes, this does demonstrate a yearning for a new order; but it also indicates an inbuilt tendency to follow pirs and soothsayers with little thought. It is hard to understand quite what Dr Qadri himself had in mind. Certainly, he has gained publicity — but nothing resembling the ‘revolution’ he promised. In the final analysis, there has been no change — beyond damaged green belts in Islamabad from where desperate ‘marchers’ cut down wood. The antics we saw are a reminder that revolutions are not instant affairs and nor can constitutions simply be swept aside.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th, 2013.