United We Stand, Divided we fall: Consquences of Long March – Toaha Qureshi MBE

(Current situation in Pakistan)

Toaha Qureshi MBE

Pakistan, within a year of having a smooth democratic transition, is standing on the verge
of anarchy in wake of the planned “Azadi (Independence) March” by Imran Khan and a “Revolution March” by Tahir Ul Qadri on 14^th of August. For me, Pakistan cannot afford these marches at this juncture in time, especially when the military is going through a major offensive in Waziristan. What we currently need is a show of maturity, and not divisions, from political parties and state institutions. Extremism has economically and socially paralyzed Pakistan and thus it is the need of the time that the whole nation unites against these elements that are leading them to chaos.

Imran Khan should hold a meeting with all parties in the country, as there is a need for an All Parties Conference (APC). If there is any issue regarding vote rigging, it should immediately be resolved. The Pakistani judiciary, now very much independent, needs to play an effective role in this situation and thus address the concerns and reservations of Tahir ul Qadri and Imran Khan in terms of electoral reforms. A judicial inquiry, with a very clear mandate, shall be put in place in order to let the nation know about the real facts of the elections.

Both Qadri and Khan have diverging ideas of a New Pakistan, and thus the people should not be fooled by these two ideologies. As part of the system, Khan can bring about change through parliamentary debates and papers, where he can be supported by both the state and its people.. The people of Pakistan must continually be encouraged and empowered to be involved in nonviolent and democratic activities to express their grievances. The demands by both Khan and Qadri, asking for dissolution of the Parliament and seeking resignations of the elected Prime Minister, are both undemocratic and radical. It is nothing less than a bloodless coup, something which the country cannot afford at the moment. The need of the day is a serious and far sighted dialogue among the political parties.  It wouldn’t surprise me if these marches become violent and transform into an easy entry march for the military to stage a military coup.

Even if the Army goes on with such an adventure, it will face a number of national and international problems. First of all, domestically, with a major operation, in form of operation Zarb-e-Azb, in Waziristan in place, the army can hardly afford such an adventure, as it would easily divert its attention from the all-important offensive. Further, the army is needed at the borders due to the fragile situation with its neighbours, and thus a Marshall Law may divide the military. Secondly, it would be difficult for the army to solve the ongoing issues of economy, lawlessness and energy shortfalls within a short time in the country. Finally, considering that PML N is the largest party in the country, with supporters going in millions, the country would witness a major public backlash and movement in the country, which would certainly take army on the defensive. It is also believed that as General Raheel is a professional soldier, he will do his best to further clear the stigma attached to the Army’s reputation of not allowing democracy to flourish.

The army may also face international issues in forms of sanctions and souring of bilateral ties with a number of countries. Furthermore, a possible military takeover could also affect the working relationship that the political parties in India and Pakistan have started to develop.

14^th August, for me, is the day of celebration of Independence and should remain that way. Both Qadri and Khan should realize that such occasions are momentary reliefs for the common man, and thus should not be ruined for political gains. In particular, people are expecting more from Khan since he is leading a province. In Britain and the outside world, Pakistan’s name is being tainted because of these incidents. The only reason for improvement of Pakistan’s name abroad is the maturity of political parties in Pakistan as its evidence was shown by PPP, which had smoothly transferred the power to PML N. The democracy, which is relatively new in nature, should be given a full opportunity to flourish.  Any elements that try to derail democracy should be dealt with as swiftly as the country is in no situation to allow such elements to burgeon the democratic process.

Neither both Khan and Qadri nor the ruling government would benefit from this march. If it turns to violence, which is the biggest concern of both government and the people, everyone loses out especially the organizers. Even if it goes ahead without violence, a day of celebration will be marred by controversy, taking away the very essence of Independence Day.

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About the Author:

Toaha Qureshi is a British Pakistani educationist, strategist, policy analyst and philanthropist. He is Chairman of Forum for International Relations Development (FIRD). Toaha Qureshi was appointed Member of the Order of The British Empire after being awarded an MBE by Her Majesty the Queen, Elizabeth II, in 2009 for services rendered for community relations.