PRESENTED BY:MAHEK SHAKEEL ZAINAB SHABBIR

Presented To:Miss- Shafina Shah

TOPIC:

Current Protests And Dharnas

In Pakistan

INTRODUCTION TO DHARNA:

A dharna is a non-violent sit-in protest, which may include fast undertaken at the door of an offender, especially a debtor. Dharna used in Pakistan by Qazi Hussain Ahmed and Jammat e Islami Pakistan in 1993.

HISTORY:

The Azadi March (Freedom march), formerly named Tsunami march  is a public protest march in Pakistan organized by the Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaaf party against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, over claims of governmental manipulations in the 2013 general election. Party leader Imran Khan announced plans for a protest march travelling from Lahore to Islamabad in August to a throng of protesters in a PTI jalsa. Khan had initially named this planned protest march “Tsunami march” but later changed the name to “Azadi march” (or the “Freedom march”) since its slated start date coincided with Pakistan's 67th independence dayon 14 August 2014. 

CONTINUE: On 17 June 2014, a violent clash occurred between the Punjab Police and PAT

activists resulting in deaths of several protesters from police gunfire. After almost 11 hours of the standoff, the anti-encroachment squad of the police force launched an operation to remove the barriers from the road leading to the offices of Minhaj-ul-Quran and the residence of Tahir-ul-Qadri in Model Town, Lahore. In mid-August 2014, Islamic Scholar Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri led thousands of people in hundreds of cars, buses and trucks towards the federal capital, Islamabad, from the provincial capital, Lahore. As of the end of September 2014, the Inqilab March is conducting sit-in protests with allied partner Imran Khan,  After the announcement of the Azadi March, it was expected that Tahir-ul-Qadri. This alliance between the two parties resulted in two parallel marches by Qadri and Imran Khan (with the goal of mutual protection in any civil crackdown).

PROTEST DEMONSTRATIONS:

Phase 1 — Islamabad jalsa: On 14th August (when year passed) from all Pakistan people gathered in Islamabad to support Imran Khan , where Khan demanded 4 constituency investigation from government and until that decided to protest in-front of election commission offices every Friday.

Phase 2 — Karachi  jalsa 21st September: In the Karachi Jalsa, Khan addressed a huge crowd and criticized the role of the judiciary in the election. In his usual tone, he also commented on the outcomes of the result.

PTI Islamabad jalsa: PTI Karachi Jalsa:

Phase 3 — Lahore jalsa 28th September: On 28th September 2014, Khan managed to gather a massive crowd at the Minar e Pakistan where he announced plans for the Azadi March, calling the protest march the final phase of his movement against electoral fraud in the 2013 general election.

Phase 4— Mianwali jalsa 2nd October:On 2nd Oct 2014, PTI moved to Mianwali, hometown of Imran Khan and organized a large gathering. In this jalsa,for the first time a huge number of women participation was seen in the history of Mianwali.

PTI Lahore Jalsa: PTI Mianwali Jalsa:

After Eid ul Adha, PTI's next stop was Multan.The crowd gathered in Multan to hear Imran Khan's speech is said to have exceeded 15,000.Due to the mismanagement, seven people were killed in the stampede that occurred after the speech of Imran Khan when all of the crowd and people rushed out of the gates.The management had deliberately closed the gates of the stadium due to which the incident took place

On 17th Oct 2014, PTI tsunami hit Sargodha after the victory of PTI backed candidate in Multan by-election. Like all previous rallies, a large number of people were present to welcome their leader in Sargodha. Learning from Multan incident, Sargodha Jalsa was managed in a more efficient way.

PTI Multan Jalsa PTI Sargodha Jalsa:

On 24th Oct 2014, PTI organized rally in Zahoor Elahi Stadium in Gujrat. This was the last jalsa of PTI before Muharram. A large number of crowds gathered again as per other rallies of PTI.

Imran Khan announced the end of protest on security reasons following the Peshawar terrorist school attack.

PTI Gujrat Jalsa: End Of March:

Inqalab March 2014:

INQALAB MARCH PROTEST DEMONSTRATIONS:

Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri's addressed a big rally at Dhobi Ghat, Faisalabad on 12th OCT 2014. He said Pakistan and corruption can no longer go side by side, as the entire nation has made a final decision to bring about a revolution in the count.

A large number of people have gathered at Lahore jalsa Minar e Pakistan to welcome the Tahir-ul-Qadri’s -led march that has entered the capital city and is making its way forward. Many women have also turned up at the show, some of them with their kids.

PAT Faisalabad 12 October 2014

PAT Lahore 19 October 2014

On 23 Oct 2014, PAT hit Abotabad after the victory of previous jalsa in Lahore. Like all previous rallies, a large number of people were present to welcome their leader in Abotabad.

PAT held the last rally in Haripur. A large number of crowds gathered in this rally. Dr. Tahirul Qadri regretted that even after registration of an FIR against the incumbent Chief Minister Punjab in the Model Town case, he did not tender resign from his office. He said the country was being run on foreign loans and the nation has been sold out against dollars.

PAT Abotabad 23 October 2014:

PAT Haripur 24 October 2014

 Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri on Tuesday night announced an end to his party's protest demonstration in the federal capital on Oct 21, 2014. The announcement ends over two months of protest sit-in in Islamabad which set off a political crisis in the country.

End Of March:

CRITICISM ON LONG MARCH :

Criticism against the march emerged within the party when three national parliamentarians and majority of members of K-P Assembly refused to resign. Moreover on August 31, 2014, PTI Central president Javed Hashmi distanced

himself from PTI chief Imran Khan.

A few cases of harassment of women, teasing and disrespect have been reported but there is no reasonable evidence present for this claim. Dance at PTI jalsa has also been condemned on Social media. 

INTERNAL CRITICISM: Harassment of women:

The Azadi March became notable for popularizing the slogan 'Go Nawaz Go', which protesters chanted against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Sharif and members of his party were greeted with this slogan in several cities including Sargodha, Muzaffarabad, Sialkot etc. Upon Prime Minister's visit to United States of America to attend 69th session of United Nations General Assembly, a large number of PTI Protestants gathered outside the UN office and chanted 'Go Nawaz Go'. #GoNawazGo also became one of the most used hash tags of the year on social media in Pakistan.

Go Nawaz Go Slogan:

IMPACT OF LONG MARCH ON SOCIETY:

Educational institutions in Islamabad were due to start educational activities after summer holidays on 11 August 2014 but had to remain closed until 24 August 2014.

By August 31, the government claimed economic losses directly resulting from the sit in were between Rs500 million and Rs800 million. 

Closure Of Educational Institutions In Islamabad:

Economic Losses To Country:

Regarding the march, the Daily Times wrote that it "took away the capital's charm" because, while such rallies are a democratic right, the protesters left behind a trail of garbage and made the local inhabitants' life abnormal.

 

Role Of Media: