Anatomy of a political moment

What kind of freedom is this?
You are deaf to our voices.
What KIND of freedom IS this?
Our young men keep getting killed.
What KIND of freedom IS this?

– 'Da Sang Azadi Da' by Shaukat Aziz

The entrance of Manzoor Pashteen into the historic Mochi Gate Park in Lahore evoked memories of the political struggles of the 1960s when politicians raised slogans for azadi. On the evening of 22 April 2018, the narrow streets around Mochi Gate, or Speaker's Corner as it was called during the movement for Independence, rang with the Urdu slogan of "Ye jo dehashatgardi hai, iss ke peechay wardi hai!" (The ones responsible for terrorism are the ones in uniform), and the Pashto "Da Sang Azadi Da?" (What kind of freedom is this?), a phrase from a poem written by Shaukat Aziz, a Wazir tribesman, in protest against the Army's military operations in their area. The line of Pashto poetry has become a rallying cry for the students mobilising under the banner of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (Movement for the Protection of Pashtuns), and the poem, their anthem.

Through a side gate of the park, surrounded by admiring supporters, the figure of Manzoor Pashteen appeared to be gliding past flowing sewage water and towards the stage. Later, activists would swap anecdotes of the entrance: how Manzoor's supporters had carried him to the stage, and his feet did not even touch the ground. The tone of admiration and awe is reflective of the hopes the embattled population of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) has pinned on this 26-year-old graduate in veterinary sciences from Gomal University in Dera Ismail Khan(DI Khan). The previous gatherings in Quetta and Peshawar had seen thousands of men and women clutching posters of their family members, many of whom have been missing for as long as 15 years.