[Reader-list] Fw: [SASIALIT] Congratulations, Pakistan!

[kabi cubby sherman]

on another group/listserv, i had gotten that same email that was doing the rounds that shivam sent . this morning this one was sitting in the inbox as a follow-up

kabi

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Dear Name-Omitted,

I happened to be part of that "GPO 150" when the police started using tear-gas. This is a picture of us throwing stones at the police http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Pakistan/ss/events/wl/081401pakistan/im:/090315/ids_photos_wl/r469008846.jpg/ (Im in a red shirt on the right)

We had left Zaman park where Aitzaz had been placed under house arrest. Lahore gave the look of a deserted ghost town in the morning with the Mall road completely blocked. I was with the Labour party pakistan, Student Action Committee and civil society members. We decided to walk our way towards the High court in pairs so that the police fails to notice us. Some of us succeeded while others, like nauman Qaiser and jalees Hazir were arrested at the checkpoints.

I have been to many protests in the past but I have never seen anything like the passion visible infront of the High Court. There was a consensus that if the Lahore High Court falls, the movement will fizzle out. We also had feryal gauhar and Hina jilani with us in the crowd and they also thought that resistance infront of the High Court is the key for a victory. As the police started shelling tear-gas indiscriminately, many started falling unconscious. All of us panicked and started fleeing the scene to evade arrests. A man who must in his 70s, started yelling to the fleeing crowd (which included me as I could no longer breath) that this was not a time to run but to fight. Eventually, the baba ji fainted as well but he encouraged all of us to come back and continue the fight.

We resisted the police for over two hours, pushing them back many a times. Express News reported that 250 to 300 shells had been fired at the protestors. Express news reporter Rabia Mehmood and AAG channel correspondent Mani almost fainted and had to be taken  away from the scene. Many were vomiting because of chemicals in the tear-gas which were worse than anything I have witnessed. However, this brought the best out of the Pakistani nation. Some people were carrying salt and water for those getting injured in the fighting. Others were helping carrying people to the diagnostic center in the High Court or onto Edhi ambulances. When the police would charge protestors on one side, they would be pelted by stones from the other side. This was the key to this street battle as the police was being hit by stones from all sides which is why they could not takeover the High Court. It didnt matter which political party or group one beloned to. Everyone was looking
 out for each other.

By this time, alot of lawyers, political activists and civil society members had gathered at the gates and those of us who had been there since almost 12 decided to leave as we felt de-hydrated and coult not breathe properly. When we went in the courtyard where all the activists had gathered (including Justice Tariq Mehmood, Advocate Anwar kamal, Hina Jila, Tehmina Daultana etc), we had no idea what this battle at the GPO really meant. We were just looking for water and a place to sit. Infact, I was a little dissapointed that the numbers infront of the GPO had not been big and that the Long March could be a failure.

It is here that we recieved the news that this battle had gripped the entire country's imagination. The news channels were constantly talking about the police high-handedness and the resistance by many activists. I even recieved a call from a friend in States who said that she had read about the crazy fighting at the Lahore High Court. The tide was deifnitely turning.

After this, the people were in complete cotrol of the city. Thousands joined Nawaz Sharif's caravan as he defied detention orders to lead the procession from his house in Model Town. The High Court courtyard went ecstatic when we heard the news of the resignations of the IG,DIG, SP, DCO and deputy attorney general of pakistan. Crowds cheered wildly as some of these gentlemen joined us at the High Court. The most memorable part of the evening for me was to see Aitzaz Ahsan defiantly enter the High Court building despite orders for his house arrest and the police officers stood in line to salute him. This meant a complete victory for the movement and from their onwards, it was just a matter of time before the government would be forced to accept our demands.

I feel that the way Taseer's goons were defeated at the GPO showed the weakness of this state apparatus. It represented the best of pakistan. On one side, it represented despair, state brutality and police repression. On the other, it reflected hope, resistance, the passions and the dreams of many Pakistanis. We had won not because of the generosity of the country's leadership, but because of the countless sacrifices of lawyers and activists for the past 2 years with 15th march 2009 becoming the grand finale in Lahore. Despite the success, our post-colonial state is still full of problems and oppression and there will inevitably be more resistance. In all of the future struggles, we shall remember and take with us the spirit of March 15.

In solidarity,
Mitta hua naam

P.S. I had always been embarassed about bthe fact that Punjabis have shown the least amount of resistance to the establishment. Our brothers and sisters from the smaller provinces have been at the forefront of the anti-establishment struggle and have rightly accused the Punjabi leadership of making compromises. I hope our performance in Lahore and generally during the lawyers movement will also help enhance the image of Punjabis as people who can take a stand and fight the tyranny of an oppressor even if he is Punjabi (Salman Taseer).


>>
>> 
>>
>>> back channel window into lahore:
>>>
>>> <<The Army, the Presidency, the Americans and the Prime Minister, were
>>> all ready to throw peanuts at Nawaz Sharif. The assessment was that 500
>>> will reach constitution avenue. ( read Salman Taseer)
>>> In Pindi, we had halwa puri at a friends house today. a ppp friend who
>>> knew my passion for the cj,  at 11-00 am  said, looking at me, "Yar
>>> Imran, there is a bigger long march in my house than in Lahore."
>>> A PML N friend told me from Lahore, "Punjabis dont get out in the face
>>> of danda. The long march will fail"
>>> The starting point of the Long March from Lahore was the GPO chowk.
>>> Nawaz had to join it from model town. Nawazs house had 40 PML N workers
>>> chanting tired slogans at 10-30.
>>> Mall in front of GPO had a vacant look at 10-55. Police and the empty
>>> road.
>>> A sole lawyer reached GPO chowk at 11-00 am and said to Express TV, " I
>>> made it, others can come too." By 12 around 50 civil society activists
>>> and lawyers reached the place.
>>> Then, God smiled.
>>> Police starting using the third degree. Surprisingly, fool hardily, the
>>> 50 surivived the first 15 minutes, and fought back. By another 15
>>> minutes, they became 150 and started throwing stones at the police.
>>> Justice Shahid Siddiqui got a shell and was injured. For three hours
>>> they kept fighting, girls, women, lawyers, including Asma Jilani.
>>> Express had a crane camera and three great reporters. Lahore saw police
>>> beating girls and activists.
>>> Mian sb was reluctant to come out. He did not have numbers with him.
>>> There was no organisation. Lahore was locked, and some rich kids were
>>> preparing for Basant. I think the GPO beatings shook him. Hamza Shahbaz
>>> stealthily broke free in an SUV , with ten people.
>>> Express broke the news.
>>> Suddenly Lahore woke up. " Nawaz is out, on his own?"
>>> In two hours, the 10 became 20,000.
>>> In the meanwhile, the 150 at GPO chowk fought, some fainted but did not
>>> leave despite Salman Taseer's goons.
>>> In these three hours from 11-00 am to 2-00 pm, Pakistan's destiny
>>> changed. Lahoris woke up, and joined their son.
>>> In another three hours, they knew that lacs would reach islamabad. No
>>> police, no army could stop the procession.
>>> So, Kiyani went to the presidency and prime ministers house. The 202
>>> calls were made, but 202 had seen the procession. If you dont give him
>>> what he wants, "he will take everything."
>>> Nawaz Sharif is in Muridke only.
>>> The CJ is inshallah going to be restored.
>>> When history will be written about this transformational moment in
>>> Pakistan's history, we must remember the GPO 150. Had they stayed at
>>> home thinking "what difference can i make," our dark night would not
>>> have ended.
>>> The people of Pakistan have great passion, you need to show them the
>>> way. That is what the GPO 150 did. >>
>>>
>>> ((note: the name of the sender has been omitted.))
>>>
>>> - moazzam
>>>
>>>>
>>>> what great news to wake up to. jubilation.
>>>>
>>>> kabi
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Meter Down - à¤à¤¾à¤²à¥ पà¥à¤²à¥ à¤à¥ à¤à¤¹à¤¾à¤¨à¥
>>>> blog: http://meterdown.wordpress.com
>>>> podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/meterdown
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message ----
>>>> From: A S <sanzgiri8 at hotmail.com>
>>>> To: sasialit at listserv.rice.edu
>>>> Sent: Monday, 16 March, 2009 3:41:06 AM
>>>> Subject: [SASIALIT] Congratulations, Pakistan!
>>>>
>>>>
>


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