“Aise dastoor ko subh-e-be-nur ko main nahi manta main nahi janta (This constitution, this morning bereft of light, I refuse to accept, I refuse to acknowledge),” Habib Jalib wrote in his 1962 firebrand poem ‘Dastoor’. The opening verse is aimed straight at a flawed “system”, and as it goes on, the poem soon transitions into the voice of a politically frustrated people.

Defiant and demanding, rhythmic and resistant, harmonising and hopeful — ‘Dastoor’ has echoed in streets and theatres beyond colonial boundaries as a rebel anthem over the years — whether it is at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi or during the lawyers’ movement here.

Although regarded as a cornerstone, ‘Dastoor’ was neither the first nor the last protest song that Pakistan produced in its 77-year-long history.

What is resistance music?

By definition, resistance music traditionally expresses feelings of protest about some social or political injustice or an international event that aroused strong emotions.

An essential form of political expression in the country, it has, in times of turmoil and unrest, provided a safe haven to both artists — as a release for their and society’s frustrations — and listeners in need of a rallying cry. From scathing critique to satire, the layered history of these songs shows how they have evolved in recent years.

In Pakistan, protest music and lyrics have been around since before its birth. We churn music out of anything and then hold on to it for life. From load shedding to military dictatorship and beyond; as long as the awaam has been fed up, it has been singing about it.

But in a country where artists are jailed and someone, in all likelihood, is eavesdropping on your phone conversations, how does one define resistance music? Dawn.com spoke to over a dozen artists and cultural experts about it and the majority opinion says that it can be described as opposing the state narrative, speaking up against oppression, and providing an alternate opinion.

This special report by no means covers all the resistance music that has been produced over the years in Pakistan or songs/lyrics that the society adopted as rebel anthems. Resistance is also personal; as individuals, our causes can differ and so can our attachments to different forms of art. This report mainly covers mainstream music, and songs and poetry that the experts we spoke to felt deserved a mention.

“Resistance music uses poetry which speaks against injustices, disparity and the pressing issues of society or just questions, makes fun of or ridicules the status quo and power structures to bring about some sort of a rooted and grounded version of the people’s opinion,” says musician Arieb Azhar, whose sentiment was echoed by several others. Singer Haroon Rashid simply calls it a responsibility to positively impact society.

Beyond what it can and should achieve, resistance music, as highlighted by some, is almost perpetually in a state of metamorphosis.

Salima Hashmi, daughter of timeless poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, believes rebel anthems rarely ever start as being resistant. Instead, what makes them defiant are the circumstances.

“For example, the poetry of Bulleh Shah has always been revolutionary, but when Abida Perveen sings it during General Ziaul Haq’s martial law, it translates into resistance. With art like that, it reinvents itself as time goes by and the context changes the meaning of the poetry,” she says.

Otherwise grand and loud in stature, there are also times when these protest songs seep into the mundane. As composer and record producer Rohail Hyatt puts it: “Normal becomes the antidote in abnormal situations.” When one lives in a melting pot of different norms, a seemingly normal act too becomes resistance.

For the purpose of this report, resistance music is defined as

• rebellious
• having the ability to not be affected by something adverse
• expressing pain and hardship
• bringing about a positive change or providing an alternate opinion

From rebel anthems and satire to poetry that has moved generations, this is an ode to Pakistan’s resistance music, one decade at a time.

For an immersive reading experience, listen to our playlist below as you go through the decades.