On the third anniversary of the May 9 tragedy and the first celebration of the Battle for Truth on May 10, one is reminded of what Martin Luther King once said: A man can’t ride your back unless it is bent.
On the third anniversary of the May 9 tragedy, the saying has proven true that a matchstick has a head but no brain.
It was not long ago that on March 8, 2022, opposition political parties under the banner of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) submitted a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan and a requisition under Article 54(3) of the Constitution to summon a session of the National Assembly. Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif had said that what Imran Khan had done to the country economically and socially over the previous four years was unprecedented. On the other hand, the Imrani government accused the opposition of being part of an international conspiracy.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, while addressing a public rally in Mailsi, had said that he was ready for the no-confidence motion, but questioned whether the opposition was prepared for the consequences if the motion failed.
According to the Constitution and the law, once a no-confidence motion is submitted, the Speaker is bound to summon a session within two weeks. The law states that after the resolution is presented, voting on the motion cannot take place before three days and not later than seven days.
Under Article 58 of the Constitution, if 172 members of the National Assembly vote in favour of the no-confidence motion, the prime minister must leave office. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) coalition government had 176 members, while the opposition had 162. However, what had happened earlier during the Senate chairman election under the slogan of the “voice of conscience” happened once again.
Reluctantly or otherwise, the March 22 session was summoned on March 25, but National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser adjourned it until March 28 after offering prayers for deceased members.
On March 28, 161 votes were cast in favour of presenting the motion. Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif moved the no-confidence motion, after which Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri adjourned the session until March 31 at 4pm.
When the session resumed on March 31 for debate on the motion, it was adjourned within minutes until April 3 at 11:30am. Then on April 3, Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri rejected the no-confidence motion under Article 5 of the Constitution, calling it part of a foreign conspiracy. Within minutes, according to the plan, President Arif Alvi dissolved the National Assembly on the prime minister’s advice. The Supreme Court later took suo motu notice of the matter.
On April 7, a five-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial unanimously declared the deputy speaker’s ruling unconstitutional. The court restored the assemblies and ordered that the National Assembly session be held on April 9 for voting on the no-confidence motion.
Even on April 9, voting on the motion was not held in defiance of the Supreme Court’s order. Instead, late at night, both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker resigned from their posts. Ayaz Sadiq then chaired the session as part of the panel of chairpersons. The session was adjourned at 12:02am on April 10. However, shortly afterward, in a new session, the no-confidence motion was passed with 174 votes and Imran Khan lost the confidence of the House.
On April 11, 2022, the National Assembly met to elect a new prime minister. The opposition nominated Shehbaz Sharif while PTI nominated Shah Mahmood Qureshi. However, after PTI boycotted the voting process, Shehbaz Sharif was elected Pakistan’s 23rd prime minister with 174 votes.
Earlier, on Friday, April 8, 2022, Imran Khan in his final speech as prime minister expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court’s decision and asked his supporters to come out on the streets. He said that everyone should come out after Isha prayers on Sunday and protest peacefully because it was their duty not to accept slavery.
On April 13, 2022, during his first public rally in Peshawar after losing the premiership, he said the entire nation had come out on Sunday. He rejected the imported government and said no honourable nation could accept such a government. He vowed to stand the honourable people against the dishonourable and warned that when he gave the call, there would be nowhere to hide. He added that this was not the Pakistan of 1970 where Mir Jafars could have Zulfikar Ali Bhutto hanged. According to him, the struggle for “real freedom” had begun and he would prove dangerous.
As time passed, the bitterness in tone and distance from power reached a point where generals were called traitors and compared to Mir Jafar. There were references to calls coming from the “zoo” and the creation of characters such as Mr X and Mr Y. From Zaman Park, the Fill the Jails movement was launched and long march plans were announced. Military officers were called Dirty Harry. Party leaders were also encouraged to speak against institutions. A lobbying firm in the United States was hired for $8,333 per month.
There were attacks on courts during legal appearances. Workers were used as human shields outside Zaman Park. Threats were made against the Inspector General and judges. In case of arrest, the party was given an immediate reaction plan under which the May 9 tragedy took place. The rest, as they say, is history.
Some of those who once called themselves people of confrontation and declared Khan is our red line have now left the country, some have left politics, while others are still in hiding. Despite the absence of exemplary punishments, repeated “final calls” continued to be made against state institutions and installations.
Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had once declared during his tenure that no one had the power to keep Imran Khan imprisoned for long. He said no force could separate them from the PTI founder and claimed that even the institutions should understand that “minus Imran Khan” was impossible. He had threatened that if their rights were denied, they would take over Islamabad and that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would march to secure the release of PTI’s founder. Today, however, Sohail Afridi occupies that chair comfortably.
From May 9 to May 10, the striking difference is that even the simple-hearted spectators who had been deceived by the slogans of Riyasat-e-Madina and Naya Pakistan have now returned to reality and are celebrating the victory of the Battle for Truth.
On the third anniversary of the May 9 tragedy and the first celebration of May 10 as the Battle for Truth, one is reminded again of Martin Luther King’s words: A man can’t ride your back unless it is bent.
