Pakistan Thursday 22 April 2021, by Farooq Tariq Farooq Tariq, general secretary of the Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee, a network of peasant organisations in Pakistan, outlines an activist’s life. Activists have to pay the price for speaking the truth I take pride in having fought against four military dictatorships. I participated in the students’ demonstrations against Gen Ayub in 1968-69. During Gen Yahya’s martial law, I joined protests and strongly condemned the military operation in East Pakistan. Gen Zia’s reign was particularly tough for me. I had to spend eight years in exile. I was chased for organising demonstrations against Gen Zia’s dictatorship and for writing articles criticising his policies. In 1977-1978, I was warned that I had been spotted by the regime’s informers and was likely to be arrested and subjected to state excesses. I had no option but to go in exile in the Netherlands where I would remain 1978 to ’86.