Daily Times

There is a saying: “True leaders think dissent is an obligation.”. Another one says:”Truth be toldvery few people have the guts to dissent.”

These much-vaunted phrases apparently lost theirrationality in a wave of unfortunate events in the political landscape of Pakistan. A nation too keen on emulating others and ever ready to take to the streets for protests finds itself in a dilemma of choosing between sanity and frivolity. After seventy years of independence, Pakistani nation is, ironically, still at the crossroads.

Unfortunately, in Pakistan, people have been used by the elites, bureaucrats, politicians, and all those who ruled in any capacity. People were thrown into an abyss of ignorance with an agenda of perpetual subjugation of self-serving and corrupt rulers. Leaders were too meek and self-effacing to rise to the call of their conscience. They stooped too low for sucking up to their lords for meagre personal benefits. Our political class ditched itself so low that it was no more able to bequeath good leaders.

We have been brainwashed to copy othersand deride own values. We are a nation of sheep who love to follow, quite oblivious of the fact that a shortcut to achieving our dreams may lead to a shortcut to our destruction.Our parliaments and senate witness slurs and diatribesby elected representatives, fighting for one-upmanship in afoul language. They appear to be more biased toward the content that agrees with their own opinions butare ignorant of the fact that when you’re on a big stage it’s rather wise to vet information before forming a perspective.Quite often, content that shocks or outrages is more attractive and impressive to human eyes and brain, and results in reactions that are usually irrational to almost everyone.

We are a nation of sheep who love to follow, quite oblivious of the fact that a shortcut to achieving our dreams may lead to a shortcut to our destruction

On the other side, a fever of liberalism is on the rise in society, and it is more pronounced in the highly educated, west-influenced and self-centredclass.Emergence of suspicious “students’ right activists” across the country in the past year or so can be seen as a looming danger. New fronts of chaos are being opened against a bold, determined and reformist prime minister by anti-Pakistan elements.Young women holding banners with some offensive content thronged public places and university campuses to protest in a “new” style.

Our enemies have always been on the prowl, and with the advent of the progressive new government of Prime Minister Imran Khan their dreams are shattered. They are burning the midnight oil in devising new strategic warfare to hamper progress being made on economic and diplomatic fronts. There are also decades old separatist groups, which lavishly sponsored from outside, are resurfacing with anti-state agendas. These are tactical weapons our enemies continue to deploy with the support of internal dissidents who are said to have long worked on foreign payrolls.

I am still of the opinion that free nations do have a right to question those they vote, but not by flaunting the rules of the state. No country on earth can allow its people to challenge the state’s writ by stoking violence and damaging its properties. It’s the ultimate responsibility of the state to ensure the sanctity of the rule of law.

In third world countries, student unions and labour trade unions have always been counterproductive at national level when they indulge in unlawful activities in pursuit of their so-called rights. They are used by demagogic politicians and feudal lords who exploit the plight of labourers and the innocence of youth to achieve personal gains while keeping them underdogs forever.

In Pakistan, most of the hue and cry for freedom of expression,human rights and restoration of unions is a ploy to create roadblocks for government in its endeavoursto bring reforms and create a turnaround in the economy.No country can condone such anti-state rallies organised and sponsored by non-state actors who clearly have ulterior motives of spreading anarchy. No wise nation on earth can ever allow its people to challenge the legitimacy of its armed forces and security agencies. Neither can it permit its judicial institutions to trespasslegal boundaries inside courts or take to the streets to disrupt public peace and blackmail the government for undue concessions. Our “liberal” journalists and media outlets should also be brought under a strict national code of conduct, whichthey would be bound to adhere to under the laws of our country.

Freedom of expression is every human’s birth right; in civilised nations that is deemed the highest and vital component of their social and economic integrity. Pakistan needs to redefine its priorities on finding a balance between extremes. It cannot afford to play down the unusual external developments as well as its domestic issues. For staying on course with the highly polarised world and fast changing global situation some unpopular decisions will be imperative and unavoidable.

If people of Pakistan wish to break the shackles of western supremacy and the slavery of Arab sugar daddies, we must shed our dead skin and start learning from our friends Turkey and Malaysia. Our nation just needs to start believing in its worth and the ample resources we’re blessed with. I am sure the day we get to know our strengths that will be the renaissance in which people’s consent and dissentwouldn’t only be celebratedbuttransformed into a win-win for all.

The writer is a Qatar-based aviation expert and blogger