Social media’s profound impact on Pakistani politics is witnessed every day. There is no political development, update, official statement or rumour that does not escape comment on Twitter, Facebook, blogs, discussion forums and other social media platforms.
In Pakistan, as well as on a global level, this new form of collective scrutiny has increasingly led to a loss of confidence in government. Renowned scholar and NYU professor Dr. MahaHosain Aziz describes this phenomena as a “crisis of political legitimacy.”
In her illuminating book, Future World Order, Aziz explains the consequences for governments subject to continuous challenge by their constituents who are now more “informed, reactionary and activist.” The most obvious example of this is the 2011 Arab Spring where information shared on social media enabled citizens to mobilise against their governments resulting in the ousters of Egypt’s long-standing President Mubarak and Tunisia’s President Ben Ali.
Pakistan’s chronic corruption has not only impoverished the country but has also had a devastating impact on the country’s politics as evidenced by the ongoing financial graft investigations of senior political figures. The clamour of civil society on social media has undoubtedly played a pivotal role in catalysing the accountability process in Pakistan. This has also eroded the legitimacy of the institution of government.
The clarion call against corruption in Pakistan is part of a wider global trend spurred by the galvanising power of technology. As Aziz points out, “A growing tech-driven citizen movement against political corruption in many countries – including South Korea, Brazil, Slovakia and even Russia – would suggest anti-corruption is an important shared global value.” Aziz cites the examples of Brazil in 2015 and South Korea in 2017 where the public outcry against government corruption led to the removal of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and South Korean President Park Geun-hye.
Aziz points out that while technology has ushered in a new platform for unfettered public discourse which can often undermine governments, technology might also provide solutions for restoring public trust in political systems. One example of this is blockchain technology which enables transactions to be recorded in an authentic and transparent manner. “Tech, specifically blockchain, could be one way to repair the strained citizen-government relationship while also reducing corruption.” She explains how Andra Pradesh was the first Indian state to deploy blockchain technology to manage land records as over 65% of civil cases in India are property-related. This provides an inspiring example to Pakistan where property ownership rights remain tenuous as a result of endemic corruption within the land registry system. Earlier this year, Pakistan’s banking sector introduced blockchain technology for tracking remittances. Though still at a nascent stage, it will be interesting to see if this technology is leveraged across other sectors and state institutions.
Pakistan’s chronic corruption has not only impoverished the country but has also had a devastating impact on the country’s politics as evidenced by the ongoing financial graft investigations of senior political figures
Similarly, Mexico is developing a system whereby government bids can be tracked using blockchain technology. This too would be beneficial for Pakistan where the government process with regard to large scale bids has often been tainted with suspicions of nepotism and corruption.
Aziz compares this current time to the European Enlightenment of the 17th and 18th centuries in which a similar questioning of the status quo occurred. Historians explain that the Enlightenment, as it later came to be known, was a time of great uncertainty and social upheaval. It was only later that it was seen as a new dawn of reason.
“Every day, we are witnessing distinct trends manifesting themselves in all parts of the world and curiously all at once. And it is leading to new ideas, movements and revolutions. In some ways, it feels like our global legitimacy crisis could be the dawn of a new type of Enlightenment reflective of the 21st century, one which is clearly global and in a sense driven by tech, or at least shaped by it,” states Aziz.
As citizens continue to hold governments accountable through new technologies, Aziz proposes the drafting of a new social contract between citizens and governments to overcome the legitimacy crisis faced by authorities around the world. Given recent political developments in Pakistan and the unprecedented reach of civil society as a result of social media, Future World Order makes for essential reading.
The writer is the founding editor of Blue Chip magazine