PTI's sit-in led by Imran Khan is setting new standards for political protest rallies in Pakistan. Tens of thousands of urban middle class Pakistanis are joining in to enthusiastically listen to the PTI chief's speeches from the top of a shipping container, with pauses filled with music and dance. Media drones hover overhead to cover the lively proceedings 24X7. Social media is abuzz with regular tweets and facebook posts from the attendees and their followers keeping millions updated on the proceedings of PTI's over a month-long dharna in Islamabad.
Urban Middle Class:
Historically, Pakistani politics has been dominated by feudal politicians who hold political rallies with their peasants in attendance who are guaranteed to cast their votes for their landlords in every election. The growth of the urban middle class in years 2000-2008 and the emergence of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) as a political force is changing all that. For the first time in the last 6+ decades, Pakistan's middle-class city dwellers are participating in the political process by voting in elections and attending rallies.
Shipping Containers:
Both the government and the PTI and PAT dharna organizers are making extensive use of shipping containers. The government uses them to try and block the people's participation in Opposition marches and rallies while the Opposition uses them to house leaders and the container roofs as raised platforms for making speeches.
It seems that the containers have now become a must-accessory for the modern politician in Pakistan. The cost of converting such containers into mobile homes and speech platforms can easily run into tens of thousands of dollars.
Journalism Drones:
Drones fitted with high-definition cameras are making history in drone journalism in Islamabad.
Since tens of thousands of supporters of Imran Khan and Allama Tahir ul Qadri marched into Islamabad more than a month ago, there have been continuous live aerial images and spectacular videos of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf's and Pakistan Awami Tehrik's massive but peaceful sit-in protest broadcasts directly from Islamabad by several Pakistani TV channels . This breathtaking live drone camera coverage of a major media event has made drone journalism history in the South Asian country of over 180 million people.
Music:
Well-timed pauses in Imran Khan's speeches are filled with pre-selected music played by DJ Butt, a professional disk jockey. Thousands of attendees dance to the music drawing the ire of conservative right-wingers. Some of them dismiss it as just a concert while others pull out their well-worn fatwas declaring the whole thing "haram" (forbidden) in Islam. The government feels so threatened by it that they have arrested DJ Butt on terrorism charges.
DJ Butt plays national and devotional songs during the course of the speeches - from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to Junoon to Ataullah Eesa Khelvi to some tracks especially created by Yousaf Salahuddin. A song played often at Imran Khan's rallies is "Jab Ayega Imran/ Banega Naya Pakistan" by Ataullah Eesa Khelvi.
Social Media:
PTI activists, and to a lesser extent PAT supporters, have dominated the social media in Pakistan for at least a month now to get their messages and news out to millions of Facebook and Twitter users in the country and across the world.
Summary:
Regardless of the outcome of the PTI-PAT dharna (sit-in), the protest movement has already broken new ground in terms of the demographics of the participants and the effective use of shipping containers, drones, music and social media. The 24X7 TV coverage has also served to start a broad public discussion of corruption, nepotism, misrule and abuse of power by Pakistan's ruling politicians.
