Cost of a question

In a disturbing display of authoritarian governance, the recent arbitrary detention of Dr Riaz Ahmed, an assistant professor at Karachi University, raises a critical question: Why is our state afraid of teachers? This incident not only highlights the state’s intolerance for dissent but also exposes a broader, more insidious trend of silencing voices that dare to challenge the status quo. Apparently, Dr Riaz’s supposed crime was his decision to protest the university’s unilateral handling of a case concerning the authenticity of a degree awarded to a public official. Per reports, Dr Riaz had objected to the way the case was being handled. Regardless of the merits of the case under discussion, Dr Riaz’s arrest was not justified. First, the professor was in the minority, and his decision would not have influenced the university’s final decision. Second, dissent is the beauty of democracy, and allowing people to put their point forward is essential for well-informed decision-making. But as always what happened was a heavy-handed approach that is now emblematic of a state that is increasingly less tolerant of dissent, where any challenge to its authority is met with repression rather than reason.

What is particularly troubling about this incident is the context in which it occurred. Universities are meant to be bastions of free thought and expression, where ideas can be debated and dissenting opinions are not just tolerated but encouraged. The detention of Dr Riaz, by most accounts ostensibly to prevent him from attending the syndicate meeting, is a direct assault on the very principles that universities stand for. This is how intellectual freedom is stifled to ensure that no voice, however minor, disrupts whatever carefully crafted narrative is in vogue. On top of it all was the police response: after first detaining the professor – absurdly in relation to a 2017 case in which he had already been acquitted some time back – the police thought it wise to attempt to gaslight the public with a laughable justification on social media.

Pakistan must decide if it truly wants to be a democratic state. If the answer is yes, then it must respect all elements of democracy, including the right to dissent. Repression may silence voices in the short term, but will only breed resentment and alienation in the long run. We are already seeing the consequences of this approach, with a growing number of Pakistanis resorting to dangerous and often illegal means to escape. This is about more than one professor. It is the future of academic freedom, the integrity of our educational institutions, and the very essence of our democracy. All political parties that have professed lofty and progressive ideals in their manifestos must be held accountable for their failure to protect spaces for dissent in the country. Universities, of all places, must be free from external interference and allowed to function as independent entities where ideas can flourish without fear of retribution. No one, least of all a university professor, should be punished for daring to raise a question.