DPC sit-in

For a sit-in, the Difa-e-Pakistan (Defence of Pakistan) Council gathering in the heart of Islamabad on Monday was an impressive show of force. But for the continuous drizzle and absence of some of its charismatic leaders, who were refused entry to the city by the government of course, the show could have a larger presence; but only marginally larger - because there are not many takers of hard-line politics here in this town. Then the traders of the Aabpara Market, venue of the sit-in, have no stomach for such events given their bitter taste of high-profile religio-political events like the Musharraf-era military assault on the nearby Lal Masjid seminary and two deadly bomb blasts in the vicinity. That the DPC sit-in failed to throw up a positive image, thanks to repeated scuffles among its participants too must have added to the indifference the residents of the capital city have about hard-line politics. But that said, it would be naïve to trivialise the timeliness of the emergence of the DFI on the national political horizon. That some 40 'jihadist' outfits have got together overnight and held rallies all over the country is indeed a significant development. The message emitting from the Aabpara sit-in therefore cannot be left unheard and misunderstood. The sit-in speakers spoke of American designs against Pakistan's nuclear programme, pledged to keep the Nato supply route blocked and accused the government of being indifferent if not implicit to these challenges. Boiled down to hard reality, is the DPC speakers' take on the scenario following the Salala incident that is very different from the establishment's as we all know it by now. Given that the host of the Aabpara sit-in was the Jamaat-i-Islami and most of the speakers were heads or members of political parties the possibility cannot be ruled out that in time to come the DPC would morph into a political party. That would be a better option than what it is today as a pressure group with a tough agenda but few followers. But there is a risk that should not be overlooked; in almost an identical setting the IJI came into existence - with its lingering negative impact on the growth of parliamentary democracy in Pakistan. We are not doing politics, says General Hamid Gul (Retd), a former head of the ISI whose best known achievement is the creation of the IJI. He has his views and he is entitled to have them. But can he tell us how a ragtag rainbow coalition of hard-line religio-political outfits each flaunting its independent agenda can acquire the popular support of the people? This is no time for the pressure groups to impose their lone-wolf mindsets as that can only lead to weakening of the democratic process. Let the DPC join politics, become a voice in the parliament through its election and impact formulation of foreign policy. Not that many people, including political stakeholders, don't chine with its agenda and are critical of the government's foreign policy as being conducted now in these very trying days. But the platform for the realisation of their agenda has to be the parliament. Street power and muscular side-shows are not the desirable option. Copyright Business Recorder, 2012