The Emergency times Nov 14th, 2007 1

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The Emergency Times

Imran Khan beaten up, arrested

(Courtesy Dawn)

Imran Khan Defiant in arrest

LAHORE, Pakistan, Nov 14 (AFP): Former Pakistan cricketer and chief of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf Imran Khan
told AFP from police custody he was trying to start a student movement against emergency rule when he was
arrested on Wednesday after more than a week in hiding. “I came to the university to lead a rally of students
against the dictator Musharraf and his illegal actions,” Khan said. “I would have presented myself for arrest in
full public view but my goal was to set in motion a student movement.” Khan spoke to AFP by telephone
shortly after he was detained while trying to lead a rally at Lahore’s Punjab University. He said he was
betrayed by a group of students. “The majority of the students were with me there but a group of them from
Islami-Jamiat-Tuliba collaborated with the administration and police,” Khan said. “They took me into the
office and then forced me out into a van. They did not allow me to be arrested publicly.” He added: “I have
achieved my purpose. I have started the student movement, I have set the tone for it.” Police earlier confirmed
they had arrested Khan and would place him back under house arrest, which he slipped out from more than
a week ago.

Massive Protest in Islamabad Today

A major civil society protest is planned for today at 3:30 PM in Aabpara Chowk, Islamabad. Organized by the
Movement for the Independence (MIND) of Judiciary, Media and Civil Society, the event is expected to gather
many lawyers, students, journalists, traders, transporters, doctors, engineers, businessmen, professionals,
NGOs employees, human rights activists and citizens united against the draconian acts of the state.

Politicians vs. Military Dictators

Academics for Freedom
Much of the week since the imposition of martial law has been dedicated to a voicing of outrage and protest
from almost all quarters. However, just as many voices have been heard pointing out that while they are
unhappy with what Musharraf has done, they are not ready to accept the politicians. And based on this they
go so far as to express their lack of desire to see a return to democracy in Pakistan because it promises to
bring politicians back to the helm. This simple logic has had many middle and upper-middle class Pakistanis
refrain from an outright condemnation of Musharraf for what he has gone and done.

It isn’t entirely surprising that people in Pakistan should be questioning the role and the utility of politicians
in the governance process. Their record has been sullied, to say the least, for except for Bhutto Senior’s 7
years, they have presided over Pakistan during its most unstable times – 1947-58 and 1988-99. Beyond the
memory of these ineffective periods of rule, however, this argument against politicians is entirely superficial,
stands on extremely shaky ground, and is the trademark of those who find thinking an extremely arduous
and unnecessary task. Here’s why.

First, I would be more than willing to give this argument some tiny measure of credit, were it not for the
answer to some simple questions: who does Musharraf have with him? Who is sitting in his puppet
Parliament? Who forms the crux of his support in the PML-Q? The simple answer – politicians. If Musharraf
were governing alone, as a one-man legislature (not to say he does not come dangerously close to looking like
Disclaimer: This publication is not affiliated with or does not endorse any political party or social group.
It is a humble effort to inspire and make aware- for we together can make a difference in these
troubled times.
Write to us at theemergencytimes@gmail.com. Our online version is on
pakistanmartiallaw.blogspot.com
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that at most times, given that so much of the Parliament’s work has happened through ordinances in the last
8 years), one may be able to adopt a “general vs. politician” stance. But given that he entrenched himself and
his authority through the creation of a “king’s party”, the PML-Q (made up of politicians), and is the President
with a Prime Minister and a full Parliament, it is entirely unintelligent to argue that we are at present living
without politicians. Therefore, if your worry, at any level, regards what it would mean to have to deal with
politicians once again should elections be held or a democratic process initiated, you shouldn’t be too worried
because you have been dealing with them since the 2002 election. In fact, you have been dealing with the
worst of them – a type of politician who saw it only right to change political parties to maintain personal
power, and who saw no issues in selling his/her soul to the devil for a shot at a good ministerial position.
Current politicians of the PML-Q abandoned their parties and their principles by the dozens and were in turn
rewarded by Musharraf, our one great hope for the cleaning up of politics in this country, through the
creation of what is apparently the largest cabinet in the world. It makes sense. If there are so many politicians
cutting deals, you might as well have as many ministerial positions as possible to use as awards. So if it’s
politicians you are worried about, they have been with us, alive and thriving, for the last 5 years.

Second, and as Musharraf has obviously realised, what would you do without politicians? It is entirely easy to
dismiss politicians as an unnecessary complication in the process of governance. But really, how does
governance happen without them? By saying that we are unwilling to return to the era of politicians, are we
saying that we have in mind a form of governance that does not require the popular, political mandate, that
has no need for a parliament (for parliament is, by definition, made up of politicians), and whose entire
legislative process (for the politically naive, the process of coming up with laws for the country) is based
around one man? We might as well go on then to argue that we should introduce to the world an alternate
governance process in which each new Chief of Army Staff automatically becomes the legislature until death
do us part. We should also clarify that we feel no real reason to ever have to waste time in ascertaining
popular will, and that we have no particular need for being counted in the process of governing a country. We
might as well argue for the restoration of a monarchy, or better still, a much closer memory, for a return to
colonial rule, under which no one had to bother with trying to determine the difference between a citizen and
a subject. This isn’t a far-fetched notion in any sense of the word, for as long as one talks of independence, a
constitution and a Parliament, one has to talk of politicians.

This brings us to the third point. Our major worry about politicians is essentially with respect to two
particular politicians – Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. Therefore, our vision of governance in Pakistan is
that of a boxing ring, in one corner of which stands Musharraf, and in the other stand Bhutto and Sharif,
sometimes holding hands, at other times pushing each other around, and at yet others simply tossing each
other over the ropes. Our job as spectators is to choose one side over the other, without ever bothering with
the dimensions and construction of the ring, or even with the rules of the game. Our worry is simply the
personalities and not the processes that define the parameters of the game. That is why we are able to say
which personality/politician/ruler we prefer over another, without sparing a minute to place those people
within any framework defined by an ideology, or even a larger process.

The point is simple. If Bhutto or Sharif come to power within a system that has changed little since the last
time they were in power, our condemnation for that system need be only slightly less severe than it is for
martial law. This is because the system would still be defined by instability, by the need of politicians to
dance to the tunes of the army, and by imperatives that require that everyone except the voting populace be
kept happy at all costs. Under such a system, our greatest worry would continue to be the army and its
complete control over our lives. This debate, therefore, has little to do with personalities or with whether we
prefer politicians over military rulers, and has everything to do with the process and form of governance we
want to live under as independent, self-respecting citizens of Pakistan.

Disclaimer: This publication is not affiliated with or does not endorse any political party or social group.
It is a humble effort to inspire and make aware- for we together can make a difference in these
troubled times.
Write to us at theemergencytimes@gmail.com. Our online version is on
pakistanmartiallaw.blogspot.com
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The Hunger Strike Goes On

Lahore, 13.11.2007: Undaunted by exam week, the students of LUMS held a candle light vigil and a hunger
strike Tuesday as part of Black Week at the university in protest against the excesses committed by the
government in the past week and a half in the name of emergency law. The hunger strike lasted for four
hours, with about fifty students gathered outside the Pepsi Dining Centre with their books and notes. Later in
the evening, more than 80 students gathered for a candlelight vigil in the lane between the cafeteria and the
academic block(this lane is soon to be renamed Justice Lane in a formal ceremony).The entire area was
illuminated by softly glowing candles, which spelt out demands to reinstate the Judiciary and free the media
in the country. The students gathered around the candles in a circle as speeches were made to protest the
current injustice and call upon students all over the nation to unite and persevere in their struggleagainst
emergency rule. The speakers expressed solidarity with all the students protesting in different parts of the
country, especially with the students in Islamabad who were beaten and arrested by the police on 12th
November. A fund was also set up in order to finance the protest campaign and the students were seen
contributing generously towards it. The ceremony concluded with a joint prayer for peace,prosperity and
justice in Pakistan.

Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry awarded Harvard ‘Medal of Freedom’

Following last week's military crackdown in Pakistan and the detention of hundreds of lawyers, the Harvard
Law School Association has decided to award Pakistani Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry its highest honor: The
Harvard Law School Medal of Freedom. Chaudhry was detained after he convened the Pakistani Supreme
Court to declare the current state of emergency imposed by General Pervez Musharraf to be null and void.
Although Chaudhry has been placed under house arrest and is not free to leave Pakistan, Dean Elena Kagan
has reached out to the chief justice regarding the award and hopes that he'll be able to come to the Law
School to receive it when the state of emergency is lifted. "As lawyers who value freedom and the rule of law,
we at Harvard Law School want Chief Justice Chaudhry and all of the courageous lawyers in Pakistan to
know that we stand with them in solidarity," said Kagan. "We are proud to be their colleagues in the cause of
justice, and we will do all we can to press for the prompt restoration of constitutionalism and legality in
Pakistan."

Disclaimer: This publication is not affiliated with or does not endorse any political party or social group.
It is a humble effort to inspire and make aware- for we together can make a difference in these
troubled times.
Write to us at theemergencytimes@gmail.com. Our online version is on
pakistanmartiallaw.blogspot.com
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Vigil at Karachi University

The first Karachi University vigil against imprisonment of thousands of people against emergency was held on
Nov 13 at 1pm outside Audio Visual Centre, KU. 23 teachers and students participated.We were wearing
black arm-bands and held a banner that read 'Restore Constitution, Judiciary and Human Rights'. A number
of Rangers were deployed by the administration around the place of demonstration and they blocked the path
leading to the main road. The vigil was organised by United Teachers Forum. After the vigil teachers and
students gathered at a teachers office and discussed ways to bring more people to the demonstrations to be
held in near future. Some five students then came to the meeting and asked for teachers help in organizing
the students, this was highly welcomed by all the present. Some teachers offered the students to come to their
classes and speak to the students about the need to act against military rule. As usual the protest demos by
LUMS students came into the discussion several times. United Teachers Forum has announced to organise a
lecture by senior journalist and highly respected peace and pro-democracy intellectual Mr M B Naqvi on
Thursday November 15 at 11:30 am at the Arts Auditorium, his topic will be Popular Struggles against
Draconian Laws (with emphasis on media freedom). UTF welcomes all teachers, students and pro-academics
to attend the seminar.

(Dis)obedience
A.H

Respected Musharraf /Than Shwe:

What life and what freedom?

Swollen, bleeding and burdensome,
The yoke still on my neck,
Woe harnessed to suffocate within.

I am pale dead in your bile bed.

This dog my god, my brain turned sod,
To reap your winsome smile,
Burnished by your evil guile.

My corpse cohering in,

Off from your gnashing teeth pull.
Now clad in white lobe,
No more raven amber robe.

Justitia brought back to life,

Free from your whipping strife.
Hear the thunder of Aaron's rod:
Your dog is now your god.

Obediently,
People of Pakistan and Burma

Disclaimer: This publication is not affiliated with or does not endorse any political party or social group.
It is a humble effort to inspire and make aware- for we together can make a difference in these
troubled times.
Write to us at theemergencytimes@gmail.com. Our online version is on
pakistanmartiallaw.blogspot.com