30 Years Ago
Translation of an audio program of BBC Urdu
Story of MRD is one of the chapters of the political history of
Pakistan which is still very little known. How did this movement agains General
Zia Ul Haq started, Eatizaz ahsan of Peoples party says "In 1980 Zia Ul Haq made
an amendment in the constitution of Pakistan, he added an article No. 212 A in
which he purged the constitutional powers of High court and Supreme court, a
movement of lawyers started which was lead by Hafeez Lakho, Abid Hassan manto,
Barester Zahoor, and Syed Afzal Hayder and such big names were in it who
belonged to different parties. This movement gathered all the parties at the Bar
association level. On 19th June a convension of lawyers was held in Lahore which
was participated by all parties and all sat on one platform, many people were
arrested I was also arrested, than a convention was held in August 1980,
similarly a convension was held in Peshawar on 20th November 1980. These
convensions brought all parties on one platform hence parties started talking to
each other and leaders of diifferent parties started to meet each other, On 21st
Feburary 1981 declaration of MRD was announced at 4 muzang Lahore, the
residence of Mian Mohammad Ali Qusori where Begum Nusrat Bhutto was also present
and she was arrested there some other leaders like Late Syed Iqbal Hayder etc
got arrested. So at that time MRD was born from the womb of the movement of
Lawyers."
Baraster Latif Afridi who was also in this movement says "Zia Ul
Haq promised 2 or 3 times that I will hold elections b ut he deviated from his
promise every time, he was becoming more and more on the throne, and was geting
more and more people and puting them into jails"
The MRD Movement has labor, student unions and all political
parties of the country, but how did it happen that PNA, a party who was an
opponent of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and who also alleged Bhutto of rigging became
part of MRD. Jameeat Ulema e Islam's leader Maulana Fazlurehman says "BNA had a
soft corner of Zia Ul Ha in the beginning, they believed that if elections could
be held in 90 days than it was acceptable by them. But when he postponed the
elections for an indefinite period and suspended all political parties, than
PNA's leadership and specially my father Maula Mufti Mehmood and Nawab Nasrullah
Khan said that this was a promise with the nation and our commitment was with
the whole nation, this they resolved that a joint movement must start and a
formula was formed meanwhile Maulan Mufti Mehmood died and after his death all
the party leaders of Jameeat e Ulema E Islam made a decission and Movememnt for
restoration of Democracy came into being. We all were in the movement but at
this point the union of PNA was also broken, because Jamaet e Islami and
Muslim league decided to remain with Zia Ul Haq and we went to MRD"
Workes from 4 provinces were involved in this, Lateef Afridi
says "I my self was provincial president of Ghous Bux Bazenjo's party Pakistan
National Party. Ghous Bux Bazenhjo actively participated in this movement
and told us to participate. The other important person is Mehmood Khan Achak Zai
who was fired upon at Qandhari Bazaar Quetta also but God saved him but many of
the workers of his party were martyred, he remained contineously with this
movement and kept struggling, but all workers of parties like Progressive
workers, Tarraqi Pasand workers BSO Pukhtoon Student organisation etc were
supported of this movement however major role that I know of was of Ghous Bux
Bazenjo and Mehmood Khan Achakzai from Balouchistan.
After the formation of MRD the biggest setback for it was the
hijaking of PIA's plane whic was accepted by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's sons party Al
Zulfiqar.
MRD was started as a peaceful political movement, but after this
incident martial Law Authorities got a good excuse to take strict measures
against the movement. But than started the most important part of MRD Eatizaz
Ahsan says "In 1983 we decided to put some life into the movement so in 1983 a
very strong movement started specially in Sindh, Sakrand, Dadu, Hyderabad,
National highway many people and workers were martyred"
Maulan Fazl Ur Rehman says "They were very strict in Sindh
people sat on roads and read Quraan, they were draged they were killed, and
bullets were fired on them they burned villages straw houses. I was in jail at
that time our interim president Maulana Sham Amroti appealed the amenisty
international to come and see the situation."
Fot the second round of this protest Latif Afridi says "August
1983 1000s of people were arrested countrywide, which included lawyers,
political workers, political leaders and people from different walks of life who
were part of this democratic movement."
Aetizaz Ahsan says "The whole leadership was arrested" Maulan
Fazl Ur Rehman remembers "I was myself coming and going into jail contineously
for 4 to 5 years, and my party's people were arrested and workers from all
parties gave sacrifices during that time."
Arrests continued Latif Afridi says "People were giving
themselves for arresting I myself in this regard may be on 27th August 1987 did
a protest in Kissa Khawani bazaar, me and some of my friends got arrested.and we
were sent to Dera Ismail Khan Jail, there were about 400 to 500 worlkers of
Pakistan Peoples party and National Democratic Party in the Dera Ismail Khan
Jail, after 11 days I was sent to Haripur Jail, there too there were hundreds of
people, and big leaders of our like Bilor brothers Afzal Mohammad Afzal Khan and
many leaders of Awami National Party, Wali Khan was house arrested at rest house
in Kohat Dam, this arrests was all over the country there were thousands of
people in the country but spirit of people was high and they were ready to
protest for the restoration of democracy"
In this action who was the most targeted Latif Afridi says
"Specially People's party's dozens of workers were given very tough
punishments similarly Mazdoor Kissan Party whose important leader Sher Ali
Badshah was kept aproximatly 100 days in Qila Bala Hisar, he was then taken out
by the high court so Mazdoor Kissan party and People's party's werkers were
hardest hit"
Aetizaz Ahsan says "The most important was obviously Pakistan
people's party which was a big party and was resisting of Marshal Law from the
first day of Marshal Law 5th July 1977, its workers were going to Jails leaders
were being strapped many were also hanged Shaheed Banazir was jailed for 5
years, Begum Nusrat Bhutto also remained in Jail for a long time so the workers
also took the inspiration from them and were ever ready"
The authorities were very strict Aetizaz Ahsan says "Thousand of
workers were imprisoned military was not as soft as it was during the last
period of Musharraf but at that time it was very rough for them it was very easy
for them to even think of hanging some one. There were torture cents like Lahore
fort etc where they used to keep them I was not taken there but many of friends
and fellows used to spend months or weeks in those cells and when they used to
come back into jails their condition used to be very bad, very bad condition"
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