Black Flag Week - we mourn our judges and all the lives lost in this "strange, deadly war"

[Bureaucratic inefficiencies prevented this post from appearing on Wednesday, the day it was finalised]

First, news of the activities this weekend:

1. As mentioned earlier, many ideas were being discussed last week. One idea was to continue our dissemination of the documentary film "Missing in Pakistan". The target audience this time were not FAST-NU students but their seniors - alumni gathered for the annual home-coming event. We thank the Young Professionals group for their help in implementing this idea and look forward to further collaboration on joint projects.
2. The Concerned Citizens of Pakistan group (CCP) has worked really hard at finalising a set of activities for Black Flag Week and preparing the necessary "props". Alongwith members from the People's Resistance Movement and other active bloggers, they have created a new blog dedicated to this decisive week in our struggle. You may find it useful to find out about events planned in your city.
3. The CCP organised three car rallies on Saturday in order to advertise Black Flag Week. Cars bearing black flags and "Restore judiciary" stickers took three different routes through the city in an attempt to connect with a larger audience.
4. On Sunday, the lawyers and the CCP took out a car rally that started at Aitezaz Ahsan's residence in Zaman Park and ended at Justice Ramday's house in GOR I. Students, young professionals, human rigths activists as well as PTI activists - numbering perhaps 200 in all - had assembled at the starting point by 3:30 PM. Bushra Aitezaz, wife of President SCBA Aitezaz Ahsan, addressed the participants, announcing the news that the PML-N and the PPP had agreed to restore the deposed judges by a simple resolution of the National Assembly. She, however, cautioned all present not to rejoice prematurely, reminding them of how the hopes raised on 20^th July were dashed to the ground by the régime's counter-strike on Nov. 3^rd. Next, an amateur street theatre group (members drawn from the SAC, from a youth theatre group and from young professionals) presented a short skit illustrating the key issues and events of the so-called judicial crisis. The tableau drew outright laughter, wry smiles as well as appreciative attention from the charged audience. Soon thereafter the rally got on its way, swelled by now with the arrival of a caravan of boisterous PML-N supporters. Raising slogans and honking horns, they wound their noisy way to the residence of Justice Ramday, held in conditions approaching house-arrest since Nov. 3^rd. By the time the rally reached its destination, it numbered more than a thousand, the line of cars stretching from Danepur Lane out on to the Canal and the Mall underpasse. The police were so overwhelmed, they gave way and let the participants have their way. Justice Ramday, visibly touched by the sea of admirers, addressed the crowd, paying tribute to civil society, to all the lawyers, to those ladies who came out only for this movement, to Justice Tariq "who had the guts to resign 6 years ago when we remained silent". Barister Aitezaz Ahsan then surprised everyone by arriving unexpectedly and gave a short talk as well. While most of the participants dispersed at this point, some headed to the High Court where the street theatre group was presenting their tableau to an audience of consisting mainly of PTI and Khaksaar Tehreek members. A fuller report of the events is given here.
   

Second, reflections on next steps: does this mean that the movement has won? Is it time now to start placing more emphasis on the issues of sovereignty - at the national, provincial and local bodies levels but also in academic institutions (school boards, PTA's, student unions, etc.) and at the level of individual citizens? To start tackling the entrenched power of the civil and military bureaucracy so that it is no longer possible for an upstart to overturn the government and to establish de facto authority in the space of a few hours? Or is it, as Bushra Aitezaz stressed, still very much necesssary to keep up the pressure on the political parties and the ruling junta to form a consensus government that fully acknowledges the authority of the illegally deposed judges and acts unequivocally to restore them to their rightful status?

The lines above were written on Monday - we needed some more details about the rally on Sunday. On Tuesday, as if in response to the gathering strength of the pro-judiciary movement (15,000 people protested in Karachi, a big rally was organised from Karachi to Hyderabad), "they" struck again - two bomb blasts that went off simultaneously a little before 9:30 AM. A deep thud was heard as far afield as Bhatta Chowk, Defence and Samanabad. Windows rattled in Cavalry Ground. Fire was spotted by a FASTRising member driving on Jail Road. And then the TV channels started reporting from the blast scenes.

Who, exactly are "they"? The government? The pro-non-NATO-most-important-ally part of the establishment? Avengers from the ravaged north-western and western areas of the country? Was this done in reply to the bombings last week in Sarhad (Pakhtunistan)? Or in reply to the success of Black Flag Week and the commitment to restore the judiciary made by PPP and PML-N on Sunday? Or in preparation for the first session of Parliament on the 17^th? To ensure, as Nasim Zehra has suggested, that everyone focuses on "law and order" as opposed to true sovereignty, real justice and lasting peace?