The roads of Islamabad were once again swarmed with protestors chanting the slogans of democracy as they did under the leadership of Imran Khan up until just over a year ago. The difference is, this time the protest is led by the current opposition instead. Spearheaded by the chief of Jamiat Ulema-I-Islam, Maulana Fazlur Rehman stood with the representatives of PPP and PML-N where Khan stood not long ago, accusing him of election rigging and undemocratic reign. He led a two-week protest against the current government under Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, which began in Karachi in October 27, only to be called off a few days later. A strong sense of nostalgia moves with the crowd as they call themselves the Azadi March or Freedom March. This is the same name that Khan began using in 2014 in his fight against the now disintegrating PML-N. The Azadi March of 2019 appears to have paused for the time being as its ‘Plan B’ which included the blocking of all key roads across the country, has also been called off.
Who is Maulana Fazlur Rehman?
Fazal-ur-Rehman in a right-wing politician in Pakistan and the current president of JUI-F. He has served in the National Assembly until 2018, when he lost his seat to a lesser known politician from PTI. Since then, he has maintained accusations of electoral rigging against the current government. He protested against the war on terror in 2001, with strong pro-Taliban connections and views. Since then, he has changed his image by forging connections with secular political parties Regardless, he has shown opposition to the Honor Killing Bill, the Women’s Protection Bill and the recent bill against child marriage. He hopes to impose the Shariah in Pakistan, albeit while remaining within the confines of the parliamentary system. His party runs many local level schools and madrassas which has gained its strong support in rural areas of Pakistan.
Why march?
The declared aim of the march is the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan and re-elections being held. However, it is questionable if every individual who has joined the march supports the larger political agendas of the Maulana. In the last year, the Pakistani currency has lost one-third of its value. Heavy taxation under the IMF conditions has had crippling effects on the poor. The welfare-education and health care system has seen significant budget cuts. This march drew tens of thousands of people from all across Pakistan because they are desperate. Members of opposition parties such as PPP and PML-N are joining because they claim that the recent elections were not held on a level playing field. Months before the election, leading figures from the ruling party PML-N at the time were targeted for corruption charges almost exclusively. Political rallies in Balochistan just happened to be bombed weeks before the elections. When members of the judiciary such as Justice Aziz Siddiqui pointed out the pressure on the judiciary to hand out sentences to ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz, he was dismissed for alleged refurbishment of his official residence beyond entitlement. These parties claim that the field was cleared out for Imran Khan to run and win almost uncontested by the country’s powerful military establishment.
What is the controversy?
The public is divided over this march. Is it right to support a march that is led by an extremist right-wing politician if it supports democracy? Some argue that the leader does not matter if this protest is able to garner enough support to destabilize and weaken not just the current government but the military establishment that props it up. Others are vehemently in opposition of such a protest. They believe that such mass support gives the Maulana the legitimacy he needs for his extremist policies. The religious right-wing is already very powerful in Pakistan. Affording it any more power can lead to increasing religious intolerance and mob violence. Some even question the ‘pro-democracy’ element of the march. A lot of the rhetoric in the Maulana’s speeches has been pro establishment. Commentators deliberate if this march is the symptom of a burgeoning military factionalism. Perhaps, the right question to ask is whether this protest will even work. The plan B was called off within weeks of its announcement. The protest quickly lost momentum due to the lack or coordination between the three political parties involved. After two weeks the crowd disbanded, and we wait for further news. It could be, that to expect united action from three adversarial parties which share little in common other than the hope of re-election, is foolish.
What happens now?
The Plan B has been called off for now. The Maulana has revealed that the conditions of calling it off are, “I was assured that a change would come in the month of December. I was assured that a new general election would be held in the next three months.” In the meantime, he has called a multi-party conference of the opposition parties on the 26th of November which will be aimed at discussing the next course of action against PTI. Members of most influential parties are expected to attend.
