Dawn.com’s Huma Yusuf speaks to students across the country who are planning to participate in the sit-in in Islamabad on Monday.
“I got involved with the Long March because if I stay silent right now, then I’m tacitly consenting to the status quo. I’m betraying my indifference. But I’m not indifferent – you get involved just to make yourself heard.” These are not the words of a High Court advocate or PML-N party worker. These are the words of Humna Bhojani, a high school student at the Frobels International School in Islamabad. She, like hundreds of other high school and university students across the country, is enjoying a political awakening thanks to the lawyers’ Long March.
The fact is, Pervez Musharraf’s imposition of emergency rule on November 3, 2007, gave rise to a new beast: politically engaged students from private institutions. While Pakistan has a rich – often complicated, often violent – history of student politics, it has long been restricted to public universities where political parties establish student wings. Since 2007, however, students at private institutions have also thrown their cards into the political game, particularly in the effort to restore former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry to the Supreme Court.
Groups such as the Student Action Committee (SAC) – which is active in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi – the Pakistan Youth Alliance, and the Concerned Citizens of Pakistan (which binds students with civil society activists) have mushroomed. These organizations, all of which have a strong online presence, have helped bring together students from different institutions and cities to join hands with the lawyers and political activists.
What’s interesting about these student activists is that they’re managing to interact with the Pakistani political landscape without establishing affiliations with particular political parties, the way public university students inevitably do. On Saturday afternoon, I spoke with Amna Mawaz, an Islamabad-based student at Bahria University, while she was participating in a rally outside Jinnah Super Market. Sounds of protest shook the air, but Amna remained focused. She was able to identify which political parties had representatives at the rally: “People from the Mazdoor Kisan Party are here, PML-N people are here, and Awami Jamhoori Ittehad guys are here. To be honest, though,” she continued, “the MKP people were much more organized last year.” Such political savvy would normally be surprising in a young university student.
Part of the students’ success as an activist body stems from their connectivity. Before November 2007, most of these youngsters had never met each other and would not have known where to find like-minded students with whom they could become politically active. Enter, the internet.
“After emergency was imposed [in Nov. 2007], I didn’t know anyone, but I wanted to do something. Then I got online and met all these students and now we have a movement,” explains Abeer Hamid, a student at Lahore’s FAST University who helps manage SAC’s online presence. “We stay connected through the internet, through Facebook and blogs. This way, we also stay in touch with Karachi and Islamabad,” he says. Abeer manages online mailing lists and sends out mass SMS text messages informing students of political developments and upcoming events such as talks, rallies or vigils. He also maintains SAC’s Facebook group page and uploads relevant videos to YouTube.
For example, the day before the Long March arrived in Lahore, Abeer circulated a YouTube video showing a song in support of the lawyers’ movement that had been broadcast on a private television channel. “I found the clip online, separated it, and uploaded it as a stand alone because I thought our community [of students] would enjoy it,” he says. Earlier, Abeer helped distribute an official ‘Long March Tarana’.
Today, on Sunday, March 15, many of these students are planning to join the lawyers’ movement and participate in the sit-in scheduled for Monday in Islamabad. About 300 students in Lahore are planning to congregate at Zaman Park before heading to Mall Road to join the lawyers. Ahmed Saleemi, a student at the Lahore School of Economics, is one of them. “My family isn’t involved in politics and most of my friends are not active,” he says. “But I got involved during the emergency [2007] and now I will continue. It’s just awareness.” Even as he gathers some food and a wet towel (in case of tear gassing in Islamabad) to prepare for departure, Ahmed is disappointed at the way things are going this year. “This time, they’re trying to stop us. That’s why the civil society is getting scared – there’s a bit less participation.”
But students seem more determined than ever. Sundas Hurain, a law student at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and a member of the SAC convening body, says that more LUMS students are participating this year than last. “This time, the clash is more fundamental and crucial – the state machinery is blatantly curbing the right of the people to protest,” she says. “That’s why more people are on board, even if we don’t make it all the way to Islamabad.”
That said, there are some students who have not been able to sustain their political commitments. An SAC member who was involved in last year’s Long March, Maham Ali, is not participating this year. “I’m so busy with university right now that I don’t have time for the lawyers’ movement,” she says.
Well, it was for the first time superb way of participation from the civil society in the great cause for the imposition of RULE OF LAW in the country of feudal lords and capitalist. Excellent work done by the media people they actually educated the innocent people of pakistan to come out. Trust in your abilities, you can work more than this for the prosperous and peaceful pakistan, please support you politicians.
I’m surprised at the ignorance of all Pakistanis and their thinking that everything is going to fine now that Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry has been reinstated to the Supreme Court. From what I could see, Pakistan needs lot, lot more than just one appointment of Cheif Justice. Wake up and smell the Coffee or Tea or whatever you smell in the morning, It will take a revolution. Problem is, All the smart people leave Pakistan for studies early and we are left with crooks and gundas in Politics. SHAME ON YOU for not thinking about your Country 1st.
Younger generation needs to lead from front. Unless they start taking interest in politics, it will remain a playing filed of opportunits and incompetent people. Hats off to all the students from LUMS. FAST, Bahria University Islamabad, Punjab University, Quaid i Azam University and also young students from Frobells Islamabad who took part in the movement for restoration of judiciary.
Keep it up.
I wish members of civil society and students also come forward and arrange rallies for the condemnation of growing Talbanization and Talibans’ brutalities !!
Its the begining of a greater disaster.
The chief justice wont be touching NRO and other political cases so how come he is fair or the system is fair ?
Its drama of our dirty system
Congrats!!! and Best of luck for the future.
Extremely proud of Pakistani civil society and students. Keep up the great work!
I will like to congratulate all sections of Pakistani society specially lawyers, students, common masses, media and newspapers in their struggle to achieve this historical victory of Justice.
The people of Pakistan have made a point that they want justice and rule of law to flourish in the country and together they can achieve the just cause. This victory is the major step for Pakistan get the right place in the nations of the world it deserves. Good Luck to all Pakistanis…
It is very encouraging what is happening in Pakistan. Some people in the present governing elite are already tested, discredited thieves and crooks. They have no moral standing to govern the country. They are not accountable to the Parliament. They should be fired. They have no place in ademocratic set-up, particularly after their miserable performance in dealing with important governing issues.
I think its great that Pakistanis have stood up to this foreign installed Government.
Let’s bury the hatchet. We must work for the progress of our country; not merely for our interests. We still have a long way to go, but together we can.
This has been the true Freedom Struggle for Pakistan. But..the price of liberty is eternal vigilance. While the brits gave strong institutions to Pakistan when they left, the rogue generals and waderas wrecked them the past 60 years. Now the people of Pakistan have, through their own efforts, won back their freedom. And restored a key pillar of any nation – an independant judiciary.
Will all problems disappear? of course not. But Pakistanis have shown their character. And character is destiny. And today a giant step was taken towards putting Pakistan on the path of progress.
Congratulations !
Today i feel to be a Proud Pakistani,
certainly, what we have achieved today has made us proud in front of the world as a democratic country. It seems that the light which came out on 9thMarch-07 has started to transform into a Sun of liberty, democracy, independence of Judiciary & above all political awareness of people.
My tribute to Media, Journalists, Lawyers & Political workers, Civil society.
While sitting here in Singapore, it feels incredible that there are people out there who haven’t killed their conscience, and still have the urge to make a difference, and to not take everything imposed by those who are misusing the state apparatus!
This long march has given us all hope: hope for a change, hope for a difference that we as a nation can make if we let go of our indifference for once and contribute towards this socio-political revolution.
I am not bothered about any agendas political parties might have had behind this long march, It’s just refreshing to see that we still have the power to go out and fight for our basic rights!
I respect each and every individual who was part of this movement, which certainly has given all of us hope for a better and brighter Pakistan!!!
This is the victory of the truth; we should be proud of this achievement as it has raised our heads in the nations of the world. It’s a long awaited step in the right direction; we must not stop now and all of us must continue to step in the same direction to make our PAKISTAN a peaceful and progressive country as envisioned by our Quaid-e-Azam. We must show the world that this country, created in the name of ISLAM, is a symbol of peace not terrorism. Long live Pakistan. Ameen!
It warms my heart that at this momentous occasion, Pakistan has risen once again and delivered a verdict, “we stand for the oppressed, not the oppressor. We stand on the better side of history and that the tide will turn. We shall not be silent spectators in the most important moment of our history”.
I wish I could be with my brothers and sisters in this time.
Pakistani student in Montreal, Canada.
Bravo… it seems we are about to win! Hats off to the whole civil society of Paksitan! Re-instatement of CJ is just the beginning. We need to use people’s power for better and bigger purposes from now on…
pls support this movement. It is necessary for india to deal with a democratic pakistan and even more for the citizens of the country who are in the grip of the terrorists/military rule alike.
All the best.
You only have to study and that would be your best contribution. Look for the Quaid’s words on for students. You can be better heard if you complete your education and be useful for this lovely but poor people country.
“But those who knew with certainty that they were to meet their Lord, said: “How often a small group (in number or strength)overcame a mighty host by All
They were equal prior to Mr. Sharif’s exile but now clearly the Sharif’s are on a principle stand.
What is fact is fact both are not equal.
Lets eradicate the evils one by one.Insha allah good will emerge from it.
The problem Pakistan faces currently is they don’t any other option than the two which are equally worse than other.