Re: Why Pakistani people have not taken to the streets?
http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=78952
Emergency has little impact on Lahorites
LAHORE
THE president’s announcement of emergency in the country seemed to have a little impact on the peace-loving Lahorites who spent the holiday calmly. The main roads and important resorts of Lahore witnessed unusual quiet with a little traffic plying on the roads and the public preferred to remain at their residences. Moreover, the administration also had not adopted any extraordinary security measures in the city as if they already knew the temperament of its masses.
The police personnel were only visible outside Lahore High Court, Governor House, Chief Minister House as well as the residences of the judges in GOR (I). A couple of demonstrations were registered in the city including one at the office of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and the other was outside Lahore Press Club where a handful journalists gave vent to their feelings against the emergency and new press laws. Though the issue of emergency was talk of the town and the people in their privacy condemned the presidential action yet nobody was prepared to come to the roads in protest. Majority of the people were interested as to how the lawyer community would react to this humiliating treatment of the government towards judiciary but no one was prepared to actively support the lawyer’s cause. Nevertheless, the masses were seen thronging Gawalmandi Food Street in groups late Sunday night and discussing the issue of emergency. Majority of the people gathered at Food Street were found strongly condemning the Presidential act and termed the step a conspiracy against the solidarity of the country. They also appreciated those judges who withstood against the President and denied to take oath under the PCO. However, when asked whether they would come on the roads, majority of the people did not give clear response.
There were some who were of the opinion that they were traders and were facing severe financial crunch due to prevailing political crisis. They stated that they could not afford pulling the shutters of their shops down for a couple of days. Likewise, the students from different colleges were also gloomy over the prevailing scenario in the country but they were not willing to support the lawyers on roads.