Daily Times

I am happy to turn the page on 2018. It was a year of despair in many ways for Pakistan. (Forced?)  Disappearances continued apace, in fact accelerated. And by all indications they will pick up pace in 2019. The only bright spot was the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) and its band of young activists, who for once changed the entire conversation of Pashtun identity politics to be about Pashtuns as equal citizens within the federation of Pakistan rather than Pan-Pashtun identity across the Durand line; but. unfortunate and insecure people in the deep state, however, were even threatened by that. As usual they had to go looking for a black cat in a dark room, where there was no cat, and find it-the foreign hand behind PTM.

But what I really want to talk about are the new year messages and liberal discontents on social media. The Prime Minister in his new year messages for once listed three additional ills of Pakistan ahead of his singular obsession with corruption. Evidently poverty, illiteracy and injustice are also problems for Pakistan. So good to know that even the Captain has learned a few things in power.

Secondly, , as I write these lines. Pakistan’s leading newspapers on their front pages on Jan 1st report that the President, Prime Minister and DG-ISPR have tweeted their new year’s greetings to the nation. In that short headline is the story of 2018. A state institution-military-is now at par with the constitutional institutions of Parliament and the government of Pakistan. Nothing surprising there, just refreshing to see the truth being acknowledged.

Third, the government of Pakistan tweeted New Year’s greetings in ten foreign languages, mostly European and then some others. Nice to greet the world. I think I must have missed the tweet to the people of Pakistan in their languages, like, Pashto, Baluchi, Brahvi, Sindhi, Punjabi, Kashmiri, Shina, Burushaski etc. Our state is obsessed with images and how it is perceived by the world, especially the West. From the sanitized streets of cantonments and civil lines, Pakistan could be doing just fine, if only the rest of it could have the patriotism, order, discipline and the faith in the ideology of Pakistan that thrives in such hotbeds of social unrest. The problem of Pakistan is not a failed educational, health, or social protection system for example, but the cynical liberals badmouthing it. So, the project is to tell nice and uplifting stories. Promote a soft image. Our state is too busy telling transparent lies to itself and the world, to talk to its own people. It’s New Year’s (non)greetings in Pakistani languages is a case in point.

The government of Pakistan tweeted New Year’s greetings in ten foreign languages, mostly European and then some others. Nice to greet the world. I think I must have missed the tweet to the people of Pakistan in their languages, like, Pashto, Baluchi, Brahvi, Sindhi, Punjabi, Kashmiri, Shina, Burushaski etc

Social media is the new battle ground for the Pakistani state. It fights its 5th generation hybrid war in that theatre, even if no one else does. It behaves like I used to behave as a child when my friends won’t play with me. I would fight with them for not playing with me. The Pakistani state too, throws a tantrum when people won’t play the hybrid war with them. I had an indication of that when participating in a training programme for the functionaries of the deep state. I was bemused to learn that mid ranking intelligence and security officials of the ranks of colonels and Brigadiers could not imagine that someone may genuinely have a different point of view or may sincerely disagree with them.  In their minds, it was clear that their reality was the only one and if anyone disagreed, they had to be on someone’s payroll.So obviously the state sponsored and aligned trolls come barrelling down on anyone they see espousing any views different from theirs. A few unedifying social media battles I witnessed gave me ample food for thought at the end of 2018.

It appears that Pakistani liberals too cannot countenance that anyone disagreeing with them or could possibly do so, sincerely. Anyone, espousing a militarist or PTI point of view is immediately labelled an agent of the deep state. In doing this, many liberals are being as disingenuous as the state. People can hold very toxic beliefs, quite sincerely. People should concede others’ ability to genuinely hold those beliefs, just as many ask the state to concede their right to hold different beliefs. This concession also applies to white/Western people who may be (quite annoyingly) crowing about the soft image of Pakistan. As an aside-sometimes western people can also know more about Pakistan that Pakistanis. I know many who do. Questioning their right to talk about Pakistan, because of the colour of their skin or national origin is not far away from racism and xenophobia.

The above notwithstanding,Happy New Year Pakistan! May your kaleidoscopic human colours shine ever brighter in 2019. And may the state find the vision to see them.

The writer is a researcher in ‘Reader in Politics & Environement’ at the Department of Geography, King’s College, London. His research includes water resources, hazards and development geography

Published in Daily Times, January 3^rd 2019