The existent atmosphere is so laden with pain and anguish that one is constantly smitten with the urge to escape the suffocation. This thought merely reflects another wish on a bucket list growing heavier with each passing day owing to the backlog of doable tasks. But hope must not die. It does not.
Like a soul that has stayed hungry over prolonged periods of time, and for whom even a tiny morsel feels like a multi-course meal, one is constantly on the lookout for signs that could stir a change. But the mornings that seem to bring a promise quickly pale into evenings denuded of any such prospect. Then to the next morning and the next evening – it is like an endless cycle that refuses to change its course. Nothing can describe this desolate state better than the words of Faiz, “this is the moment to mourn time”.
But mourning is more an act of resignation. Could a feeling be stirred to generate hope in a cause that is being constantly pushed to the rear by desensitising people about its gravity? Before such a process can be initiated, the challenge is to sustain focus on the cardinal issues that afflict the polity and ensure that these remain within the attention span of the citizens of a beleaguered country.
Underneath the umbrella of policies, the role of state institutions is pivotal for any change to materialise. The failings of our so-called pillars have been of legendary proportions, with none offering any resistance to frequent onslaughts by undemocratic forces. The role the judiciary has persistently played in submitting to numerous autocratic ventures has been demeaning. From the coinage of the ‘doctrine of necessity’ to facilitating the application of the 26th Amendment, paving the way for the demise of an independent judiciary, its conduct is inscribed in indelible black sprayed across its face. In a scathing criticism of the institution, recent letters written by Justice Babar Sattar and Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan have pointed out the rot that has set in.
In addition to a legislature, mostly packed with members of the beneficiary mafia operating along partisan lines, and the rampant corruption plaguing the bureaucracy which has gone unaccounted for, another issue is gaining in gravity with the passage of time. This pertains to a spate of disinformation orchestrated through all avenues and extensions of the mainstream and social media.
First and foremost, this malady is directly linked with the financial needs of the industry and their overwhelming dependence on the government’s largesse. In addition to regular release of advertisements, the recent maniacal stress on self-promotion through mostly fabricated reports has assumed an alarming proportion. Supplements highlighting the government’s ‘achievements’, studded with countless self-elevating photographs, reflect a narcissistic tendency of sickening dimensions.
The political needs of the powerful ruling mafia require extensive promotion. That is when the financial support factor is used as a manipulating tool to turn the media networks into a vulnerable implement to carry forth the agendas of the incumbent rulers. This is accomplished without subjecting these claims to scrutiny and checks which are inherently linked to credible and professional reporting.
There are also strictures to contend with, which limit the freedom of expression and reporting. Journalists who insist on stating the truth run the risk of losing their jobs and being tried for a variety of transgressions under the Peca ordinance. Independent anchors remain off air for prolonged periods and are brought back only when their rebellious streak has been effectively doused, while those refusing to fall in line may be forced to leave. Errant guests are forbidden to be invited to programmes so that a false narrative could be perpetuated, unquestioned and unchallenged.
The evil network linking the legislature, executive and judiciary, vociferously supported and abetted by an irretrievably compromised media, forms the basis on which the edifice of an illegal and undemocratic governmental structure stands. Through decades, this sinister bondage has been the nemesis of Pakistan’s democratic dreams. The problem is that this alignment shows no signs of abating. With time, this embrace only gets tighter, plunging the country into a precipitous fall.
Lately, we have heard a sitting federal minister openly discussing how the bureaucracy has mismanaged the state's resources to fill their personal coffers and purchase properties in far-off lands. The Audit Report covering the financial year 2023-24 has cited staggering financial irregularities amounting to Rs. 375 trillion. The speaker of the National Assembly has returned the report to the auditor general of Pakistan (AGP) expressing displeasure over it having been sent directly to the House instead of routing it through the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. Obviously, an effort is afoot to bury the monstrous scandal.
All this is owed to the same network that binds members of the corrupt ruling elite together. They have the seats of power, and thus the clout to force everyone to remain silent. Even a sitting minister’s call fails to stir someone’s conscience that a question be asked, a query be raised. The words and actions of those in power are regulated through chains of pelf. No one can fall out because it will bring down the entire system that sprouts in seeds of incentivisation and fertilised by sacks of corruption. It is this monstrous structure that stares down upon the needy and the stricken.
Despite the apparent power it seems to command, this system rests on borrowed crutches. That is so because, on account of rabid indulgence in defanging the state of its assets, it has become hollow, unable to stand on its feet. This borrowed power makes it further vulnerable to undemocratic forces, which are increasingly strengthening their hold on everything that moves the country.
The challenge before the people is to break this logjam of illicit accumulation. It is not an easy task as it accrues benefits to all members of the ruling mafia while even avenues for meagre sustenance are snatched from the downtrodden and the destitute. However, it is also clear that if this logjam persists, the ruling mafia will accumulate further power, thereby perpetuating its hold on all constituents who play a role in managing the state and its affairs.
We stand at the brink. If we continue tolerating what the beneficiary mafia has been doing in the past, it will inevitably lead to destruction. And if we turn back and try to chisel a new path, it will require indomitable courage and resilience. Nevertheless, it should not be difficult to make our choice. The path into the future is arduous, but it is the only path there is to freedom.
The writer is a political and security strategist and the founder of the Regional Peace Institute. He is a former special assistant to former PM Imran Khan and heads the PTI’s policy think-tank. He tweets @RaoofHasan
