View from Washington: D-Chowk is no Tahrir Square, at least not yet
Dr Qadri’s march has not yet caught the attention of the American public. -Photo by AP
In Washington, Tahirul Qadri’s D-chowk is not seen as comparable to Cairo’s Tahrir Square. It is not yet seen as an event that could bring about a major political change in Pakistan, as the Tahrir Square did in Egypt.
The uprising in Cairo had the entire American nation in its grips. For weeks, it was front page news in all major newspapers in the United States and also dominated all big television channels.
The popularity of the demand for a change forced the Obama administration to use its influence to persuade former Egyptian president Hosni Mobarak to step down. The US administration also had a role in preventing the powerful Egyptian military from using force against the protesters.
Also for weeks, the developments in Cairo remained a key subject in daily news briefings at the White House, State Department and Pentagon.
Compared to this, Dr Qadri’s march has not yet caught the attention of the American public. Some newspapers did report the event but carried only news agency copies on their inside pages. The electronic media also showed little interest.
Spokespersons at the White House, the State Department and the Pentagon offered no comments and even journalists did not raise the issue at regular news briefings.
There was no emergency meeting of the president’s security cabinet, as was held during the Egyptian uprising, and there’s no indication that Washington plans to send an official to Islamabad to learn more about the Qadri march.
The general feeling at Washington’s think tanks, and in diplomatic circles, is that President Asif Ali Zardari will survive this crisis as well, as he did other similar crises in the recent past.
Experts on Pakistan affairs at Washington’s think tanks say that even if Mr Zardari is forced to step down, there will be no military takeover. Instead, the military will prefer to bring an interim government of technocrats and back it from behind the scene.
Washington will react angrily if there’s a military takeover and may impose strict economic sanctions, which the Pakistani military would want to avoid at all cost. They realise that any sanction at this stage will have disastrous consequences for the Pakistani economy.
But the US reaction to a civilian change will likely be mild, particularly now when the present government has almost completed its tenure.
Diplomatic observers in Washington say that the Obama administration will make no effort to push or protect Mr Zardari. Like most Pakistanis, the Americans also see Mr Zardari as a corrupt and unpopular leader and will not like to be identified with him. But they will also not like to be seen as working against an elected government.
While the US administration is treading cautiously, Pakistanis living in America are not. The long march dominates all conversations at community gatherings, with some welcoming it as a move that may end a corrupt government while others opposing it as a development that will increase the influence of religion in politics.
“Another cleric, seeking a piece of the political pie, this is definitely not a welcome development,” said Mohsen Bashir Awan of Falls Church, Virginia, when asked to comment. “People need food, clothes, homes, jobs and electricity, not another fake change.”
“Even an MPA needs 60,000 voters to get elected and Mr Qadri wants to topple the government with 50,000 people,” said Agha Raza Ali of Brookfields, Virginia. “Pakistan has established political parties, they will not allow a new entrant to steamroll them.”
Zahid Ali of Germantown, Maryland, believes “this will pass. Nobody, least of all the army, wants to topple Mr Zardari so close to the election. This will be a big political concession to him.”
But Abdur Rauf, also of Brookfields, Virginia, said “those who have come from across Punjab for this dharna, will not leave like this. This is the end of the Zardari government.”
Shahid Husain of Washington suggested that Dr Qadri was brought because “Imran Khan failed to play his role. Mr Zardari and Nawaz Sharif played him well. So a dark horse was brought in.”
Some commentators suggested that the protest will lead to the formation of a supra-judicial body to supervise the government and the Chief Justice will head this body after retirement.
Others suggested that now was the time for Bilawal Zardari to become active and challenge Dr Qadri, although they also acknowledged that he was too young to do so.
Najma Siddiqi, another Pakistani living in Washington, said she learned from “a senior person in Pakistan about 12 months ago that things will get better. The process will not be disrupted, but ‘we will get good people’.”
Egypt and Pakistan cannot be compared together in world context.
Egypt has always been a cultural super power of the entire world and they always had a booming economy. They are the economic and cultural super power of Africa. The arab world looks up to Egypt for inspirations and its role model. Hence any major changes or turmoil happens in egypt, it will subsequently affects the entire world, either directly or indirectly. Most contries have high hopes and stakes attached to Egypt.
So, even if this D-Chowk revolution manages to change or topple the goverment, it is not going to affect anyone. It is not the first time in Pakistan, that a ruling elected goverment had been toppled and going by its history, it will not be the last incedent either. Everything for every other countries remains the same. Hence, not a front page news item. lets be realistic in our comparisons.
Pakistanis are very lazy by nature. Perhaps Egyptians were not.
Pakistanis do not want change yet. They are happy to bring their lords, be it Nawaz or Zardari. Those who are dreaming that Imran will come, keep on dreaming. Imran had a chance and he just lost it.
The biggest dilemma of pakistanis is that they know the elections are fraud and fake. Every time an election has happened, the next day the person in the opposition has called it a sham. Even the last one, got more than 40% fakes votes. But pakistanis are not so technical. No, they dont want to waste time in those fine details. Thanks to the literacy rate. And the ones who happen to some reach the western shores, might have got degrees, but they still are slaves to their ‘pendu’ mind set.
Sorry Liaqat Ali Khan, sorry Ayuub Khan, Sorry Musharraf, sorry Tahir ul Qadri and Imran Khan – Pakistanis dont want you. They are happy to be slaves of Nawaz, Chaudharys, Bhuttos, Zardaris, Palejos, Khars, Wuderas, Sardars and any one showing feudal mind set. Thanks to Army, where the sons of these feudals hold senior position and will never allow any revolution that will clean up this mess. Thanks to the media, whose owners have close ties with the top political parties.
Solution : Leave Pakistan and enjoy life in US, Canada, UK, Australia and the west.
Dawn has disallowed comments on Qadri speech news elsewhere. My only question is why is he delivering his speeches in English while he is addressing a mostly non-English speaking, Pakistani crowd?
I took Qadri seriously when I noticed Indian headlines terrorized. Qadri cloned D-Chowk outta Tahrir Square. Here’s the loose change. Qadri ain’t fostered the Arabspring. Qadri has his own agenda: “Zardari corrupt and People need food, clothes, homes, jobs and electricity, not another fake change”. That’s boring. Who cares? It’s just another Benazir Bhutto Zombies taking the street to skip work. It’s the good old Corrupt Pakistani status quo. People need food, clothes, homes, jobs and electricity. That’s right Sheikh Qadri! But from whom? Obama, Abu Dhabi, Saudi. Please be specific. Who would trust Pakistani unless he’s bluffed or extorted? Pakistan status quo is corrupt and beyond repair. Pakistanis need a tsunami or else go to bed they got The Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009 Berman- Kerry-Lugar-Berman Bill that provides food, clothes, homes, jobs and electricity. They have everything. They sold their airspace to Atari Hikikomori to nuke anything moves on their screen. What Pakistanis need God for? Would God will bless Qadri to save Dante’s Inferno habitat. Arabspringers took the street because they wanted God to provide food, clothes, homes, jobs and electricity not IMF.
I think it is a right time for all thsoe forces who wants to bring change in Pakistan should support Dr Qadri’s agenda physically. If other political forces who wants to sustain dis corrupt political system or status quo in the country can be united, then y Mr. Imran Khan not join hands with Dr. Qadri. I think its begining for revolution in the country b/c youngsters/middle class wants to participate in the decison making process but due to dis corrupt system we are unable to play our role in the country. I hope inshahallah with the passage ot time, more people join dis change movement and one-day, people will win this movement agaisnt all corrpt political forces who are interested to hold elections without making reforms in electoral process. Pakistan Zindabad
In order to make any political change or any march a successful require 3 factors.
1) Blessing of our mentors
2 Blessing of Arm forces
3) Blessing of Agencies
4) Blessing of people doesn’t count at all. They are bunch of hoodlums chanting…..
If you a have all of the above any Tom Dick and Harry can be the president or prime minister of Pakistan.