Face of freedom of expression (III)

 REHMANI ASHFAQ

mediamanfrompk@gmail.com

“Ye Dagh Dagh ujala yeh Shab Guzeeda Sahar” {This leprous daybreak, dawn night’s fangs have mangled.} With the downing of Union Jack an era of national humiliation ended and with the dawn of 14th August, 1947 another era of humiliation of common man of Pakistan started. The first democratic Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan who was shot dead in a public meeting in Rawalpindi on 16th Oct.1951 h a year ago had unearthed the Pindi conspiracy hatched by military officers and civilian high-ups in 1950. Amongst the... culprits was Colonel Faiz Ahmad Faiz He was a poet of renown. His first collection Naqsh-e-Fariadi was the reflection of the misery of the oppressed under colonialism and his second volume Dast-e-Saba is the song of the agony of the common man of Pakistan. The above line was written by Faiz in August 1947. Faiz was put in jail where he remained for four years awaiting death sentence

Faiz emerged as the greatest exponent of freedom of expression along with Punjabi poet Ustad Daman, and Habib Jalib and film maker Riaz Shahid & his actress wife Neelo. As a result of suffocating conditions Faiz took self exile in Ayubian era, settled in Beirut and carried out fight for people of third world and the Palestinian cause. Through the power of the pen . Later Z.A.Bhutto restored his rightful position and gave him the status of Adviser on Culture. He received inter-nation recognition and was awarded Lenin Peace Prize.

Protesting against the discriminatory and draconian laws of Field Martial Muhammad Ayub Khan the Bengalis launched freedom movement in 1966 under the leadership of Sh. Mujeeb-ur-Rehman. In West Pakistan a political movement  Mujee sessifor restoration of political rights of the masses was launched by Z.A. Bhutto in 1967 who had resigned from the Aub Khan,s cabinet.He founded his Pakistan People’s Party in Dec. 1967 at the residence of Dr. Mubashar Hasan. The terror was so intense that no hotel dared to hold the party session. Both Mujeeb and Bhutto were charismatic leaders. They charmed the masses with their oratory for hours together. The short sighted military elite and oligarchy of West Pakistan could not understand the political situation in East-Pakistan. Gradually the situation was allowed to be slipped out of hand. Army Chief General Yahya Khan could not resist the temptation to topple Ayub Khan and take reins of state into his own hands. Parleys failed and monster of military action was let loose in Pakistan India intervened and Pakistan met with the most ignoble defeat at the hands of Indian Army. On 16th Nov. 1971 .Main cause of the debacle was that people to people exchange of views was guarded against by the dictators.

Credit goes to Democratic President and Prime Minister Z.A. Bhutto who took charge on 20th Dec.1971 that he formulated the 1973 Constitution passed unanimously. The right of freedom or freedom of expression can only be exercised within the limits prescribed by the Constitution of a country. Article 19 of 1973 Constitution sets limits as under:-

Article 19 Freedom of Speech: every citizen shall have the right to freedom of 

speech and expression and there shall be freedom of press subject to any reasonable restriction imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or of the integrity , security or defense of Pakistan or any part thereof friendly related with foreign states, public order, decency or  morality  or in relation to contempt of court.

Z.A.Bhutto himself violated the 1973 constitution and dissolved the governments in the Frontier and Baluchistan unilaterally and installed governments of PPP. Bhutto curbed the people’s voice. He carried out military action in Baluchistan. Papers Punjab Punch of Hussain Naqi and Zindagi of Mujeeb-ur-Rahman Shami were closed for criticism on his government policies. Bhutto distanced himself from the people and allied with the feudal and the CSPs. Factory owners and the mercantile launched a protest under the garb of Islam. After some firing incidents on the processions General Zia-ul-Haq imposed Martial Law, the third in the history of Pakistan. He arrested Bhutto, dissolved Assemblies and abrogated the 1973 Constitution. He enforced his own brand of Islamic constitution adding Islamic amendments in the 1973 Constitution. In Ayub and Yahya era people were suppressed in regard to economic and political rights. But this time it was an ideological attack as well. Socialism was an abuse. It was rooted out from the Constitution. Laborers of Colony Textile Mills were fired upon killing 16. Abdur Rehman’ the labor leader from Kot Lakhpat was killed. General Zia-ul-Haq had very ambitious plans He encouraged sectarianism. He let the fanatics organize militarily. He let his fanatics take part in the Islamic” Jehad” against the Soviets. He was killed through a plane crash in 1988. The ensuing Civilian governments had to reap the bitter harvest sown by Zia. Internationally Pakistan’s human rights record is getting worse each day. The single track General Mussarraf mercilessly took military action against Lal Masjid inmates. And later against Nawab Bugti with total disregard to the historical perspective.

Gen Zia has thrown away the nation into an historic and ideological debate. Pakistan Army is the most precious asset of Pakistan. Pakistan Army is the guarantee between freedom and complete chaos. Army is fighting against an invisible enemy. It is a phantom. The phantom chiefs got military training during “Jehad-e-Afghanistan. The armed shadows are advancing towards modern cities. On the other hand over 50 TV channel are perennially giving vent to all types of ideas.  Anchor persons and thousands of intellectuals are enjoying full freedom of expression. The phantoms do not believe in democracy and civil constitution. Long drawn war has crippled the economy. Rupee has fallen to 102 per dollar. In sixties it was commonly said that there was hunger in India but the Indians enjoyed the right to bark whereas there was affluence in Pakistan but no freedom of expression.  Now the reverse of it is true. Pakistan is standing at the cross roads of history. Freedom of expression does not fill the bellies of masses.