Daily Times

The manner in which the government has handled the growing protest by the PTI and PAT not only leaves much to be desired but has also jeopardised the fragile democracy that activists all over Pakistan have fought so hard to defend. The conflict, as it currently stands, is a conflict within the capitalist class. Sections of the ruling class of Pakistan have grown increasingly disgruntled with conventional Pakistani politicians. And while they remarket and repackage their agenda in revolutionary colours and slogans, the simple fact is that nothing of that sort is going on.

The best circumstances for the development of the socialist movement are parliamentary democracy. It affords socialists the freedom of speech and organisation that is necessary for the growth of the movement. However, parliamentary democracy is no guarantor of the development of the movement; it is only a window. Through this window all sorts of reactionary interests, adventurists, demagogues and mass manipulators may also influence and impact the masses of people. The character of capitalist democracy is and will always be no better than a “pig sty” as Lenin liked to say.

Nonetheless, the socialist movement cannot be indifferent to this conflict within the capitalist class as this form of capitalist rule strongly impacts also the class struggle and the organisation of the working class. Hence, it becomes contingent upon the socialist movement to fight not only for socialism but also for space within the capitalist parliamentary system for us to propagate socialism. Hence, we have to be clear about where it is we stand in relation to the conflict within the ruling class.

There can be no doubt that the overall thrust of the PTI and PAT was fundamentally pushing in the direction of military intervention to undermine parliamentary democracy. Secondly, It also must be noted that this entire movement was launched at the very moment the country entered a life and death struggle with the reactionary Taliban in North Waziristan. Thirdly, the entire build up to these protest marches comes in the wake of the establishment’s crackdown against a private television channel for its reporting on Balochistan, followed by the attempted assassination of Hamid Mir.

Nonetheless, there were also aspects of the demands made by these marches that were essentially democratic. For instance, the demand that elections in certain constituencies be investigated, the demand that those responsible for the Model Town massacre be apprehended, and the demand that corruption, nepotism and the monopoly on power be checked. These are demands that nearly all Pakistanis support. In the PAT, there was also a demagogic appeal to class struggle against the rich and the powerful as represented by Nawaz Sharif and the PML-N.

The government’s undemocratic behaviour is also apparent for all to see. In the first instance, the government should have immediately opened the four constituencies that were contested by the PTI for inspection and perhaps for a by-election. Its failure to do so only provoked protests. It should have attempted to reach a negotiated settlement with the PTI long before the announcement of the long march. It should not have killed innocent protestors in Model Town. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif should have resigned after the killing of protestors in Model Town. The government should not have involved the army in attempting to find a middle ground with the PTI and PAT. Having involved the army, it should not have lied about this. And, finally, it should not have resorted to the extreme form of police action that we saw in the capital on Saturday and Sunday. While the police could have been used to push back protestors, the kind of street brawling, beating up of media personnel and continuous beating of political workers that the entire country saw on television has truly sounded the death knell for the government itself.

Hence, Pakistanis are confronted with a complex political situation: a government that stands defending the gains of democracy but doing so in a manner that is fundamentally undemocratic and two right wing movements seeking military intervention but raising just and democratic demands. Is it any wonder that the people of Pakistan have not only become polarised and inflamed with emotions and passions but express all these contradictory demands in a chaotic, confused manner that mixes democratic and undemocratic demands and practices at the same time? It is as if a Greek/Shakespearian tragedy is unfolding before our eyes, a giant train wreck that is twisting and contorting every solid principle and melting all that was once seemed firm and unshakable.

Perhaps the only way out of this situation is to uphold democratic demands in a non-partisan manner. It does not matter if these demands emanate from the PTI/PAT, PML-N or any other quarter. If the demands are just, we must uphold them. This would first and foremost imply that we continue to resist military intervention no matter the apparent severity of the crisis, the violence in the capital or the undemocratic behaviour of the government or the opposition. Secondly, it would imply that we apprehend all those responsible for the Model Town massacre and for electoral fraud. Nothing other than a truly just and impartial inquiry can settle this matter. This is the need of the hour.

Last but not least, it would imply that undemocratic state repression must not only be condemned but must be opposed by all democratic elements. Such violence is not only unhelpful in strengthening democracy, it is in fact undermining it. Last but most importantly, now that Nawaz Sharif’s legitimacy has been so badly compromised, perhaps the government should make tough decisions to immediately end the crisis and reach a political settlement with the advice of all the representatives of the people in parliament. All parliamentary parties must play their role too in solving and preventing further escalation of matters to protect the life, property and political will of all the people of Pakistan. Any interference from the military must be resisted. The government must be held responsible for its actions but to the people of Pakistan and not the military establishment.

These demands and principles may not satisfy those who are emotionally inflamed on either side of the conflict but we hope that they will satisfy the majority of the people of Pakistan.

The writers are members of the band Laal