The drum beats afar

But hearken, a battle formation of our tribe
Waits across the barricades of dark
They will locate us by the sound of martial songs
Reach us they may not, but they shall tell us
How far away the morning residesd

Adapted from Faiz Ahmad Faiz

Pakistan’s story of pain is unending. It moves in layers, one merging into the other with every new day dawning. The process has continued since far back in time and is likely to persist in the foreseeable future unless a cataclysmic change occurs that alters the balance among forces which have shaped this malady.

When we had dictators, they were interested in striking political bargains to elongate their stay in power, and when the democratic charlatans would take over, they were excessively smitten by despotic and regressive mindsets. None of the two brands undertook work with focus on national development and improvement in human stock by investing in their growth and wellbeing. Instead, they remained focussed on enhancing their personal gains by striking self-serving deals with the state consigned to excessively numbed parts of their brains where it continued to rot as long as they remained in power. This is the perpetual syndrome which the country has been entrapped in. It has now weakened to a point that it can hardly breathe and is constantly in need of sustenance through artificial means.

In the backdrop of decades of passive acceptance of their lot, the last few months have visibly demonstrated a different spirit and vibrant passion. We have seen an increasing number of people stepping out to express their opinions and their desires in a robust manner. This surge of people has transformed the national spectrum which is now oozing with expectancy that a change may be in the offing. The most encouraging part is that, in spite of state suppression and infliction of custodial torture upon prisoners and dictatorial curbs placed on media, this resurgence has not subsided. In fact, it continues to increase as more and more people are joining the ranks of those who are fearless in their expression and brave in weathering the fascistic tactics unleashed by the incumbent dispensation. In fact, the constraints provide them with further ammunition to expand and enhance the scope of their protest. It is absolutely amazing to witness a sea of people with their families, including small children, becoming part of this massive movement that aims at nothing but the holding of free and fair elections and enabling the people to choose the leaders of their choice without interference from quarters which have been used to maintaining a stranglehold on the political landscape of the country.

There are certain developments which are immensely bewildering. The change-over at the General Headquarters (GHQ) should be a routine professional matter. It is inappropriate to debate this in newspapers and talk shows, mostly by people who have little knowledge of how these things work. This is the way it happens throughout the democratic world: one serving officer completes his mandated tenure and walks away gracefully making room for the next to take over. The entire media debate about this is speculative in nature which damages the very process by virtue of which the command structure operates in the military.

Simultaneously, the bill which the government wants to get approved at a joint session of the parliament pertains to empowering the prime minister to retain an officer even after he has completed his stipulated tenure. The session, though announced on a couple of occasions, has so far not been held, but may well be before the due date for the change-over at the GHQ. This can potentially apply to retaining an in-service person beyond his date of retirement. If nothing else, this has created an environment of uncertainty surrounding the appointment of the new army chief which is acutely damaging for the morale of the institution as well as those officers directly in line to potentially take over the command of the military. Why is this being done so crudely, and in the public domain? Which are the forces exerting the pressure to resort to such unprecedented methods to cater to the whims of a bunch of convicts, absconders and criminals? What is it that they want to make of Pakistan in the process: a state without any rule of law, hanging on the edge?

But, then, this is what Imran Khan’s fight is all about. This is why people in the hundreds of thousands are out on the roads of the country welcoming the participants of the Azaadi March as it passes through various cities on its way to Rawalpindi/Islamabad. Even the most draconian measures which the criminal incumbent government has taken have not succeeded in scaring people away. In fact, nearing the destination, and even without Khan being present because of the injuries inflicted in the assassination attempt, the crowds continue to surge and the passion continues to grow. It is like a mammoth gathering of people charged with the dream of securing their freedom and their inalienable right to choose their leaders by the power of their vote.

It is a huge mess this country has been plunged into. Retrieving it from there is going to be a herculean challenge. Where and when do we begin? How do we move forward? These are the questions which should be debated rather than the passage of a person-specific bill which may bring in its wake serious issues for the entire institution. Substantial insanity is visible here. In their lustful quest for prolonging their stay, the criminal incumbents are quite willing to damage the institution, even put the survival of the state at risk. Imagine a convict and absconder taking decisions about the country and its future! This is ludicrous beyond words can describe. It is as if the country has been bartered away to a coalition of criminals to push it to the brink from where there will be no coming back.

It is time to take a breather. The country is sinking. The slump must be stopped immediately. That is possible only if the incumbent cabal is ousted, paving the way for the holding of free and fair elections and induction of a government which has the unswerving mandate of the people.

The drumbeats afar are getting nearer. The choice is simple: it is either these criminals or the country. Every Pakistani has a stake in this. It is time to speak out loud to deter the vultures which are hovering above with a hungry gaze and their talons stretched out.

The writer is a political and security strategist and the founder of the Regional Peace Institute