Intolerance is rife in today’s world, especially in Pakistan–a country whose political culture remains tainted by its lack of respect for others. However, the sight of scorn and rage running rampant on social media, no matter how much of a routine matter, does not prepare one for the heart-wrenching spectacle of ugly forces manifesting in real life.
This week, a video that quickly spread across social media platforms showed an employee at a local food chain in Islamabad refusing to serve the sitting chief justice of Pakistan, Qazi Faez Isa, and verbally abusing him.
Notwithstanding a string of loose ends (subsequent reports suggested that the incident had actually occurred a couple of weeks ago), it did not take long for respective mouthpieces of political camps to go all guns blazing. Instead of focusing on the troubling nature of the exchange and its implications for our political culture, they seized the opportunity to add to the controversy.
Little attention was given to the fact that a society unable to distinguish between right and wrong cannot lay claim to a functional political culture. Rather, many capitalised on public anger by making “job offers” and decrying perceived overreaches of authority.
Quite expectedly, an official statement from the company involved clarified that neither their outlet nor the responsible server was in any trouble in stark contrast to the media buzz; reinforcing that the truth had simply become a casualty in an environment as polarised as ours.
It’s disheartening the apparent war paradigm didn’t provoke widespread condemnation, especially considering how politicians in Pakistan have repeatedly been heckled in restaurants, public places, hospitals, both home and overseas, and for crying out loud inside the Holy Masjid-e-Nabvi.
Nonetheless, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s recent decision to touch on the sensitive issue as she questioned, “Do you wish for a Pakistan filled with foul language?” offers a glimmer of hope.
Perhaps, we can move towards a departure from the past and foster a political discourse upholding the middle ground and prioritising reasoned arguments over vitriol. *
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