Military Led Government under immense pressure as Anger growing
No body really thought on 9th March 2007 that the action taken by the government against the Chief Justice of Pakistan will be transformed into a country wide political agitation and judicial crises. The government was confidant that there will be no big resistance and agitation from lawyers and opposition parties against this action. The history of Pakistani judiciary was evident to this confidence. The superior judiciary always validated the military take over and military rules. They obediently followed the wishes and instructions of military rulers and provided them all the necessary legal and constitutional covers. The military dictators always successfully purge the judiciary to get rid of more independent judges that can create possible problems for their rule. This was going on from 60 years without much resistance and opposition. But it was changed on 9th March, when General Musharaf called the Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry to the Army House and asked him to resign, which he refused. Then the government sends the judicial reference against the CJ to the Supreme Judicial council and appointed the acting CJ. The CJ was made dysfunctional and detained at his residence. The government was very happy that they have successfully removed the CJ which was started to create problems for the present political setup. But this action backfired as CJ refused to bow down; instead he decided to fight back.
Repression Failed
When the lawyers and opposition started the demonstrations throughout the country against this action, very few lawyers and political activists joined these demonstrations.
The government tried to repress the demonstrators with the use of brutal state power. The police brutally attacked the peaceful lawyers’ demonstration in Lahore and injured many lawyers. The police in Lahore used the teargas and baton charge in the premises of Lahore High Court against the protesting lawyers. The same tactics were used by the police and Para military forces in Islamabad. Even the CJ was manhandled by the police, when he was coming to the Supreme Court. The security forces arrested hundreds of political workers throughout the country. The manhandling of CJ and state repression provoke the even bigger demonstrations and protest rallies. This repression was like putting more oil on the fire. The government realized its mistake and asked the police to keep away from the lawyers’ demonstrations and rallies but continue to target the political activists of different opposition parties.
Excessive use of state power and repression failed to stop this protest movement to spread further. The lawyers and a layer of opposition activists have lost the fear of repression and state brutality. The movement started to grow and protest demonstrations were become even bigger. The participation in the beginning was just hardly in hundreds but later it grows to thousands. As the repression intensified against the political parties and thousands were arrested, the opposition movement started to build up.
Lawyers Movement
The present political movement was initiated by the lawyers in the support of CJ. This movement was started with the demand to restore the CJ, but now this movement has been developed into struggle for an independent judiciary, supremacy of the constitution, restoration of the real democracy and to end the military rule. The lawyers are leading this movement in which political parties are also involved. The lawyers have so far shown great courage and determination to continue the struggle. They have shown unprecedented unity and solidarity in this movement. All the Bar Councils and representative bodies of lawyers throughout the country are united behind the CJ. Even the lawyers belonging to the government parties are also participating in the movement.
The movement started with demand of reinstatement of the CJ, but now this movement has certainly gone forward as far as demands are concerned. Lawyers are demanding supremacy of the constitution, rule of law, No to military rule and an end to the military intervention in the politics, restoration of the full democracy and new general elections.
It is first time in the history of Pakistan that lawyers are chanting anti Generals slogans and they are also reciting poems against military officers in the demonstrations and rallies. All the government efforts to split the lawyers’ movement have failed so far. Only handful of lawyers has so far joins the government camp. The government ministers and lawyers are not allowed to enter in any bar room in the country. Lawyers have lost the fear of state power and violence. It seems that movement will continue till the reinstatement of the CJ. Lawyers’ movement has opened a nation wide discussion on democracy and role of the military in the politics. Vast majority of the people now questioning the political role of the military officers.
Role of the Opposition Parties
The opposition parties are supporting the lawyers’ movement and their demands. In the beginning the opposition parties were reluctant to mobilize their forces. Opposition leadership was not sure that how far this movement can go. When they saw the increased number of lawyers in the demonstrations and rallies, they started to mobilize some of their forces. Now the opposition parties are fully utilizing the issue of CJ to discredit the present government. They are following the footsteps of lawyers, and yet not trying to overtake the leadership of the movement. Their intentions are clear that they do not want to ouster the government with the mass mobilization and support, but they want to put pressure on the establishment to make concessions to them for the forthcoming general elections. They wanted to get assurances for fair and free elections and their role in the future political setup. The opposition parties failed to develop any serious movement against Musharaf regime in last 7 years. But now they get the opportunity to challenge the government, as these parties are rallying around CJ to get the support of masses. Opposition parties still do not want to mobilize the masses around a radical programme and slogans because they fear that such mass movement will get out of their control and can damage their own interests. Both the opposition and government is frightened from a mass rebellion against price hike, unemployment, hunger, poverty and super exploitation.
The opposition parties want to agitate on the issues that are concerned directly with the ruling classes. Opposition is not interested in the issues faced by the millions of working class people.
There is no real effort going on from the opposition parties to get the support of trade unions and workers and mobilize them against the government.
Working Class still not Moves in
There is no doubt that Pakistan is going through a serious political crises. There is clear split in the ruling class. Different groupings and tendencies in the ruling class and state is fighting against each other to maintain or gain the control of the state apparatus. This infighting is going on for many years but ruling class was able to maintain a status-quo and also succeeded to hide them from the working masses. The action against CJ and present movement has widened the split and now the contradictions are evident. In the absence of a mass or semi mass working class movement, the military led government has been able to hang on to the power. There is wide spread anger and mistrust against the government and ruling class. All the main political parties including capitalist and religious parties have lost the trust of the overwhelming majority of the working people. There is no political party which claims to be fighting for the class interests of the working class. The absence of a working class party has made the situation more complex. The clear majority of working class has lost trust on the political system. Only 10 to 15% working class people bother to vote in the elections.
The working class is missing from the political scene. There is a very thin layer of the workers which has started to actively taking part in the political movement, but big sections are still not active and watching the political development as spectators. That is why the present movement has not been able to develop as mass protest movement. If present crises and movement developed further, than we can not rule out that more advance layers of the workers will join the movement. The active involvement of the working class in the politics will qualitatively change the political situation. Some trade unions and a layer of workers have already started to raise the question of new workers party. As the political crises will increase and contradictions in the ruling class will further develop, it can provoke a mass working class movement. Pakistani working class has a history of rich revolutionary tradition. Once it started to move, the whole political scenario will be changed, as happened in 1968- 69.
It is difficult to predict the exact date and time of the mass movement of the working class, but one thing can safely be said that time is not too far. The anger and hatred against the ruling classes will transform into action as the repression, price hike, poverty, unemployment, hunger, exploitation and injustice has made the lives of working class people miserable and unbearable.
The lives of millions of working class people can not be changed under capitalism and feudalism. Capitalism and feudalism has created the miserable conditions for the working masses. Real change will come with the abolition of capitalism, which only can be done by the working class. Revolutionary party of the working class, with a clear Socialist revolutionary program can over through the capitalism and establishes Socialism.
This party needs to be developed immediately from the below, with the democratic structures. This is the prime responsibility of the Socialists in Pakistan. Socialist Movement is involved in this struggle.