Daily Times

Pakistan, being a blend of ethnicities comprising varying regional, sectarian and cultural diversities, always succeeded in sustaining its cohesive and nationalist outlook.

With unflinching resolve replete with sacrifices, even the fissiparous tendencies sparked by hostile state and non-state actors were effectively checked. Attainment of these feats is certainly an outcome of the collective prudence of political and military elites duly supported by a large segment of civil society and across-the-board public support.

In the face of all distinct preferences, Pakistani society maintained its cohesion by following virtues of mutual respect and harmony. With all these divisive tendencies, Pakistani society grappled with a political divide as well. Ironically, Pakistan’s struggled to embrace a genuine democratic political culture aligned with the aspiration of a progressive society. British managed their rule in the sub-continent by carefully picking up locals swearing their allegiance to the Raj.

On the partition of the Sub-Continent, the same genre of leadership assumed the reins of power. Living to the legacy of their erstwhile masters, this political elite established their own smaller political fiefdoms in their respective constituencies giving birth to a culture of factions and subgroups. These factions led by local “elites” and influenced by the charisma of their masters always preferred the interest of their leaders and relegated the concerns of the local populace. Tangent to true democratic essence, this political culture kept flourishing and somehow remained acceptable to the assorted nature of our society.

The overwhelming public support of Imran Khan was unique and unlike the traditional political affiliations of Pakistan’s other political parties.

Successive and frequent changes in government marred by poor governance and dominance by military rules, the political milieu of Pakistan kept grappling with an outcry for change. The dynastic nature of our political parties, rampant corruption, poor governance and military interventions have remained the root causes of a political system deemed fit for a transformation.

A saturated two-party system created space for a third party and Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf emerged as an alternative; thanks to the charisma of its leader considered a Mesiha to reform a decaying system. The emergence of Imran Khan is usually attributed to the country’s establishment; a convenient and acceptable analogy by entirely disregarding conducive public sentiment aspiring for an alternative to the existing political system in the country.

Manipulating the adverse sentiments against traditional political parties, Imran Khan offered a change-driven fascinating rhetoric which gained massive public recognition; thanks to Imran’s past enigma and the tainted image of his political rivals. Imran Khan brilliantly used these factors in his favour and ultimately ascended to the reins of government. Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf’s image as a saviour and an apt alternative to time-tested political forces accentuated the expectations of the public.

On the contrary, the performance of its government started resulting in a fading away of initial public euphoria. The PTI government confronted similar charges for which its opponent political forces were deplored by the masses. With the removal of PTI’s government in April 2022 through a Vote of No Confidence, Pakistan witnessed an unprecedented upheaval.

PTI perpetrated a malevolent onslaught and outrageously accused the US administration of a regime change operation duly connived by the Country’s establishment. To its utter surprise, PTI received massive public backing in its agitational political discourse. Imran Khan consistently maligned the Army and its leadership by associating them with his political opponents and branding them allies of an international conspiracy.

The overwhelming public support of Imran Khan was unique and unlike the traditional political affiliations of Pakistan’s other political parties. It was more of a fan and cult following devoid of truly democratic and ideological aspirations. The intensity of events led to an ultra-polarized political society that had no space for tolerance and political dialogue. These tendencies resulted in the most unfortunate and unprecedented events of 9th May 2023 which left the country in a state of chaos.

While Pakistan has surmounted the challenges of ethnic, regional and cultural diversity, the divisive political environment has emerged as a menace fueling all other contentious tendencies. With the advent of General Elections in February 2024, Pakistan is once again at the crossroads of deciding its political future.

Pakistan is confronted with acute challenges of political instability, struggling economy and security issues and cannot afford any further deterioration in these milieus. Our political leadership has no choice but to shed away its myopic and vested political interest and steer the nation out of poly poly-crisis situation.

It is imperative to take measures to reduce polarization and initiate an atmosphere of tolerance, coexistence and true democratic values. The people of Pakistan are looking forward to agenda-based politics having the welfare of the masses as its cornerstone. Political narratives must focus on the eradication of poverty and other challenges confronted in the socio-economic domain instead of apportioning blame on political opponents. Constructive criticism is the core spirit of a democratic culture and is essential for a progressive democratic society.

A vibrant and objective media is the need of the hour. To mitigate the ill effects of unbridled social media, mainstream media needs to be more responsive and objective. We cannot afford any sensationalism as the challenges are grave; warranting national cohesion and unity. Our future policies must also be youth-centric and farsighted. Any further references to vested political interests will be catastrophic to our very existence.

The author is a freelance contributor who writes on issues concerning national and regional security. She can be reached at omayaimen333@gmai.com