The No by Zubair Torwali

It was spring. Flowers of many colours had sprouted in the capital. People were rejoicing the new season with hopes of rebirth. Fresh was the air but somewhere in the corridors of power and avarice suffocation and commotion was breeding.

Shylocks were uneasy with the failure of their self growth plans. They all conspired against the harbinger of hopes. He was called and demanded to submit before the barrel. They were very sure of his subservience owing to the tradition adhered with such previous manoeveuvres.

On March 9, 2007 the Chief Justice of Pakistan said a clear 'No' to the all powerful baton laden general at the Army Camp Office. This 'no' became a landmark in the tattered history of Pakistan. It has changed the power paradigm. Common people were surprised with awe and pleasure, for they thought brutal power was the only omnipotence in this country.

This 'no' has blessed the nation with invaluable gifts that will definitely set a different course into future. The lawyers were considered in the society as mere tools to manipulate laws for the sake of money. They were mostly aloof to the pressing problems of the country. The historic 'no' has converted them into a pressure group to influence the society and government policies as well.

After 13th March 2007 the lawyers' community launched the movement that probably has no precedent in human history. Their perseverance and commitment with the single goal- the rule of law- has earned grace for them. Many a young people now opt to be lawyers.

The lawyers' movement and the Musharraf-launched legal crisis injected an awareness of law and constitution in the people. Laymen tried to explain legal and constitutional issues in their own understanding. This installed a new approach among the people to rethink the power paradigm. They for the first time saw that there was something above the barrel.

"Power flows through the barrel of the gun" has lost its validity.

Thus the single 'no' became a critical tool to educate the people. As for civil society we had no good record in our history. The civil society organizations were lazy with alien agendas and approaches. Their work was merely confined to 5 stars hotel seminars. They lived here but adopted the lifestyles of western civilization. This attitude, along with many other factors, had made them not only alien but also suspects in the eyes of the ordinary people.

The 'no' provided them with the chance to slough off the aloofness and face the real issues. Happily they stood by the lawyers; and with them beaten were on the streets by the brute force of the state. They were dragged on the streets, even the ladies, too. The civil society thus realized the real issues. They came forward and began the struggle for freedom and human rights. They are now a national asset as they have regained the trust of the people. Being learned and informed they spared no efforts to change the status quo.

The 'no' has brightened the former dim stars on the national horizon. Media was no longer a silent spectator. It broke the walls of false inquisition and stood for the law and the constitution. This 'double martial law' was similar to its predecessors in spirit and deeds. It was different only in respect of time. The revolution in information technology has made it impossible for a dictator to disguise his manoeveuvres in the name of either religion or enlightenment. The media facilitated a discourse across the country enabling the masses to fix their problems.

Perhaps for the first time in Pakistan armed forces share in corporate sectors; and in national exchequer came under discussion. It was the media that made the February 18 election issues-based. Here again the 'no' played the role of a guiding star.

But a dictator does not pay heed to public voice. Musharraf and cronies tried to sabotage the reawakening in the country. He tried to style himself an indispensable alley in the US led so called 'war on terror'. They came to his rescue and persuaded Benazir Bhutto Shaheed to cooperate. The Shaheed has taken the bitter pill for democracy. It is often said that she sacrificed her principles by signing an agreement with the general.

Her reconciliation was not that narrow. Her book is an ample evidence of her motto of global reconciliation. Then the doffing of the 'skin' uniform came. The president cum COAS did not want to put aside this 'symbol' of Pakistani power. The political parties struggled to compel the president to vacate the post of COAS but were failed every time. At last the reconciliation came and he doffed his uniform. The reconciliation was an inevitable impact of the historic 'no' on 3/9.

Holistically, what happened after 3/9 whether it is the home coming of the exiled leaders, reawakening of the people, issue based February election, doffing of the uniform or the pleasant coalition of former hostile parties are all sweet fruits of that historic 'no' by My Lord, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

He is an agent of change Pakistan is blessed with.

Zubair Torwali is a Freelance Blogger and can be contacted at angeltorwali@gmail.com

- 31st March 2008