LAHORE: Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Tahirul Qadri, it seems, has something to sell to everyone; to the lower middle class, which constitutes bulk of animated protesters at his main camp at Model Town, he is a religious leader who would bring Islamic norms to society.
To middle class, which has substantial presence in the crowd, he has a ‘vibrant and practical’ economic agenda, which can set the forces of development free and also ameliorate the economic woes of the masses.
To some others, falling on the fringes of both these classes, he is a “stoic spiritual leader” who has arrived on the scene at the right moment of history, to lead society to spiritual fulfillment and bring back old golden days.
However, none of his supporters, from pre-teen kids to elderly people in their late eighties, is sure about how will he go about his “revolution.” But still no one is ready to admit that the putative revolution is “not just around the corner.”
Noor Muhammad, an octogenarian from Mughalpura, whose two young sons and as many daughters were volunteering for Minhajul Quran, the methodology of the revolution does not matter. “It just has to be right moment of history, which, fortunately, has arrived. It takes one man to change the course of history and in him (Mr Qadri) we see that role model – who is selfless, orator and analyst par excellence, a born leader and people around him are ready to lend him support.”
For Ume Kalsoon, a teacher in her late 20s, Qadri does not have to “manufacture a revolution,” he just has to lead it. “All social and economic ingredients are already there and, even importantly, people believe in him and he has put his faith in the people. This new social contract between the leader and followers would automatically result in revolution; we are destined to one, and it is now only a matter of days,” she says.
As one enters the three-kilometer radius of the protest camp, momentum starts building up. All the victims of June 17 firing incident become part of the momentum through life size banners and posters. Mobile vehicles playing revolutionary songs, bamboo-bearing youth manning all entry and exit points to the camp start defining visuals in the area. Mothers, with few months to few years old children, are part of the protest.
“What else a Muslim mother would want except for contributing through her children to the betterment of posterity, both as activists bringing revolution or martyrs writing history with their blood,” explains Najia Nazir of Sheikhupura. “Though I only recently joined the “tehreek” as an activist, but I have maintained “spiritual contact” with Qibla Qadri sahib for the last more than one decade.
He guides me in dreams each time I pray for it; what else proof one would need for impending success of the man. I and my brother are here for the last many days and determined to spend rest of our lives here or any other point spotted by him (Mr Qadri),” she concludes.
The participants, hailing from almost every part of the country, are determined to stay outdoors as long as it would. The city or the spot do not matter to Rana Shabir and his wife from Quaid Abad tehsil, where protesters put a police station on fire, in Khushab district. “We both are at the disposal of our leader; be it Lahore or Islamabad, Model Town or D-Chowk, or any other place or point. We would return only after the revolution, preferably a peaceful one.”
“Let someone else, even Nawaz Sharif, fulfill his economic vision and we would support him at the cost of Tahirul Qadri,” claims Rana Rafique – a mid-level farmer from suburban Lahore. “Essentially, it is economy and the resulting frustration that is dictating the rules of this engagement. If someone else can do it, let him be our leader. But as long as Qadri remains sincere and committed, we would reciprocate – come what may”.
Though all entry points, except two, leading to the camp were still blocked with containers and one could only reach the camp after wading through confusing arteries of Model Town and pay heavy price of nerves, the protest and protesters, to their credit, were all peaceful. Police presence was almost negligible within the inner circles and they preferred to protect the camp’s peripheries.
“Credit for this discipline goes to Qadri sahib; revolutionary songs are being played to warm up people and prepare them for revolution. But, still that delicate balance, which can tip to violence, is being maintained. It bespeaks quality of leadership,” concludes a government official, who did not want to be named.
Published in Dawn, Aug 12th, 2014
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