Sisters ’ ‘Defiance’, the Himalaya of Resolve, and the Defeat of Yazidizm
By Engineer Iftikhar Chaudhry
When the wheel of history turns, it does not merely alter time; it also exposes the true essence of characters and measures the depth of their moral fiber. In the evolution of human civilization, confrontations between truth and falsehood are no novelty. Yet, the struggle unfolding today on the soil of Pakistan is unique in character and profoundly instructive. On one side stands the state with all its pharaonic might—its garrisons of oppression, the ordeal of incarceration, baton charges, and the pretext of Section 144; on the other side, there is merely a sister’s ‘defiance’ and the indomitable resolve of the daughters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, who, by shattering idols of fear, have redirected the course of history.
If one peers into the graveyards of history, the tombs of mighty tyrants abound—but no one remembers their names. Yet, on history’s forehead, some names shine in golden letters, impervious to the dust of time or the scorch of expedience. Foremost among these is the name of that sister who, when anchored in defiance for the sake of truth, makes empires and thrones stumble at her feet. This is the ‘resolve’ that, once cemented in the pursuit of justice, bows not to nuclear arsenals, armored vehicles, nor despotic rulers.
Today, the scene outside the cold, unyielding walls of Adiala Jail is, in fact, a modern edition of an ancient battle. On one side stand those intoxicated with power and enticed by the glitter of offices; on the other, the sisters armed solely with the strength of faith and unshakable loyalty to their brother and his ideals. Alima Khan’s vigil on the barren roads of Adiala, under blistering sun and freezing nights, is not mere political protest—it is a resounding slap in the face of a decayed, tyrannical system that imagines it can imprison bodies and auction consciences.
I recall the scorching plains of Karbala, when Yazid, in apparent triumph, presumed he had silenced the voice of truth forever. But the naive tyrant forgot: the sister still lived. Hazrat Zainab bint Ali’s fearless addresses in the courts of Damascus and Kufa transformed Yazid’s ostensible victory into a lasting lesson of shame. Today, the women standing on Pakistan’s streets, roads, and outside prisons are custodians of that same ‘Zainabi spirit’. The Yazids of then were defeated by a sister, and the Yazid-like characters of today will similarly be vanquished by these sisters’ defiance.
I wish to pay special tribute to all the women of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf who have achieved in this struggle what even the most calculating politicians could not. Courageous sisters like Farah Agha, who lead the vanguard in every moment of adversity, whose voices awaken slumbering consciences. Farah Agha’s steadfastness and her unyielding presence in the field testify that this movement is not merely of leaders but of these selfless women who have nurtured it with their blood and devotion.
Equally commendable is Dr. Yasmin Rashid, whose silvered hair and iron resolve, the indomitable patience of Aliya Hamza and Sanam Javed that melts the prison bars like wax, and countless anonymous activist sisters who leave their innocent children at home to rise for justice and the supremacy of the Constitution. These are the mothers and sisters who prove that when human dignity awakens, the fear of imprisonment and batons evaporates. Farah Agha and her colleagues demonstrate that even the delicate sex transforms into a sex of steel when walking the path of righteousness.
When my son Naveed Iftikhar returns from Adiala Jail and recounts its scenes, I feel the blood in my veins boil. He shows me pictures of the brave sons of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, like Minister Mina Khan, standing with these sisters. Witnessing this, my pen naturally becomes the sword. Let the oppressors not assume we are silent spectators; our writings will shake their halls in ways they cannot withstand. When a sister sits on the street for her brother, it is not merely a bond—it embodies the honor and dignity of an entire nation.
Imran Khan’s sisters, Alima Khan and Azma Khan, standing as shields for their brother in these testing times, have astonished the world. This bond is sanctified by the Divine and immortalized by history as an emblem of courage. Their ‘defiance’ is the defiance of every citizen who dares to live against injustice. It is a revolt against a system where law applies to the poor and the powerful receive a daily new amnesty.
Today, those in power, blinded by expedience, may believe that teargas and police brutality can confine these sisters to their homes. Yet they fail to grasp that when love and conviction converge, even the fear of death dissolves. These sisters fight not just for a prisoner’s release but for the sovereignty, justice, and constitutional supremacy of this nation. Be it Farah Agha or any other PTI activist sister, every tear shed, every moment spent on the streets, becomes the final nail in the coffin of this tyrannical system.
I salute all the mothers, sisters, and daughters who have kept this movement alive with patience and perseverance. Your struggle will not go in vain. Future historians will record that when the mighty, draped in expedience, cowered, the daughters of this nation hoisted the banner of honor. They will write that victory did not belong to those with tanks, artillery, or mercenary media armies—but to those who, unarmed, stood resolute on the ‘defiance’ of truth.
The Yazids of today may possess fleeting hours of power, but you hold the eternity of history. The ‘Zainab spirit’ remains the only path to this nation’s salvation. God willing, these walls of oppression will crumble like sand, prison gates of iron will open, and the sun of truth will rise in full glory. Where sisters step forth with Zainab courage, divine assistance and angelic support accompany them.
Now the verdict lies in the court of time, and time always testifies in favor of the brave who choose to break rather than bow. We merely wield the pen; Farah Agha and her sisters have, through action, written a history no one can erase. A hundred salutes to the courage of these sisters of Pakistan.
