The Rising - New Political Reality| DesPardes.com

An unprecedented confrontation of Pakistan�s top politicians by members of the Association of Pakistani Physicians in North America (APPNA) reminded me of Posti (opium-eater), a character in Najm Hosain Syed�s play Takht Lahore. The Posti lives a dozing, half-conscious life but keeps wondering why he feels the warmth of life from the beaten down people of his land. Many of us, like Posti, keep wondering how it is that we still feel the hidden fire in the apparently burnt-out, slumbering villages and cities. A sort of uprising at the APPNA conference reinforces the faith of those who always see potential in hopeless situations.

When the audience at the Dow Graduate Association of North America (DOGANA) started confronting Dr Farooq Sattar, a stalwart of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), I thought it was an aberration. Addicted to making never-ending speeches to compliant audiences, Dr Sattar refused to stop his initial presentation despite several requests and interruptions from the moderator. He was a panelist � along with this columnist, Imran Khan, and Makhdoom Zahid (a judge in Vancouver, Canada) � on DOGANA�s seminar on provincial autonomy in Pakistan.

When Dr Sattar refused to comply with the moderator�s pleadings, several people from the audience stood up and started shouting him down. In a street-like confrontation, the audience told Dr Sattar that if he could not stick to the harmless rules of a speaking forum, how could one expect him to abide by a country and society�s much complicated rules. To his credit or otherwise, Dr Sattar kept pushing and infuriating the audience that, mostly, hailed from Karachi.

When Dr Sattar used the metaphor of Mandi Baha ud Din to describe the market-like state of Pakistani politics, many from the audience told him that the MQM too had �sold� itself many times in this market. How could it then adopt a �holier than thou� posture? Some scolded him for not having democratic ideals in his party and following a �pir� from abroad. Others chided him for doing nothing for Karachi. I have rarely seen a powerful politician being humbled in such a way. By contrast, Imran Khan was applauded and appreciated for his passionate rendering against Gen Pervez Musharraf and his military government.

I recognised this as a new development but I was still trying to interpret it in the context of politics in Karachi. Later, however, it was learnt that the fate of other pro-Musharraf stalwarts was even worse. Despite passionate pleases from the leadership, Chauhdry Shujaat Hussain was not allowed even to stand at the podium. Nor was Mohammadmian Somroo treated kindly at the Sindh Medical College Alumni Association of North America. In short, Dr Sattar was shouted down mostly by Karachiites and other pro-Musharraf speakers by their respective communities. Chauhdry Shujaat had the distinction of being hooted down by a joint gathering of the entire APPNA audience. Imran Khan was the main beneficiary of this revolt in the APPNA.

APPNA has been known as an organization of prosperous Pakistani physicians in North America used to pandering to whoever is � or rumoured to be � in the ruling elite of Pakistan. The term �VIP hunters� was invented to describe many who constituted the APPNA. Further, for long, it has been a platform for the doctors serving in the remote rural areas of the USA to communicate with their peers. They may have made a lot of money but Jungle mein moor nacha kis nain daikha (how many may appreciate the beauty of a peacock dancing in the jungle?) The APPNA was where they got to rub shoulders with the rich, famous and notorious � a coming out for the peacock.

In the political sphere, the APPNA was a forum used to wash the Pakistani government�s dirty laundry in Washington. Under the garb of serving national interest, the APPNA leadership lobbied for almost every ruler in Islamabad. Military dictators like Zia ul Haq and Pervez Musharraf have been its special favorites. It was very rare for APPNA leaders to lobby for democracy in Pakistan or for the socio-economic interests of its people. Between Washington and Pakistani dictators the APPNA leaders acted as linchpins. Therefore, the uprising in APPNA is very meaningful. It indicates that something new is brewing in Pakistani politics.

As a matter of fact invisible changes have been taking place in APPNA composition and leadership. Progressive elements from among DOW graduates and their colleagues from other medical schools have been pushing forward an enlightened agenda by inviting intellectuals, environmentalists, and human rights advocates from the world over. A small group of doctors gained prominence earlier for advocating women�s rights under the banner of the Asian Network Against Abuse (ANAA). Their invitation to Mukhtar Mai created an international furore. However, the activist physicians in the ANAA remained steadfast in their resolve and, in the end, Mukhtar Mai became an icon in the US.

ANAA�s success provided a model for other enlightened physicians in the US to spend their hard-earned buck on a pro-people agenda. The uprising in the APPNA is indicative of a new dimension being added to this organization. It appears to signal that the number of Pakistanis sick of the military government and its allies is on the increase. Something new is taking shape in the sleeping valleys of Pakistan. The Posti�s daydreaming may transform into a new political reality after all. For those who see and hear there are signs.

The views expressed herein are the writers' own and do not reflect those of DesPardes.com

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Dr. Manzur Ejaz is a columnist for the Daily Times, BBC, the Nation, and the News. A Professor of Philosophy at the University of the Punjab in the 70's and the 80's, he faced harassment from the Islamic government of General Zia for his outspoken views, leading him to seek refuge in the United States. Dr. Ejaz did his Ph.D. in economics from Howard University, Washington DC. He is the author of " Epistemology of Development Economics", and "Ranjhan Yar ..." a Punjabi play staged in Washington.

His email address is:
manzurejaz@yahoo.com

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