Daily Times

“Beliefs do not need to be coherent in order to be Believed.” (In Search of Politics)

Ironically the most coined term, Pakistan is passing through most difficult times has lost its force infact noone takes it serious these days. The present generation of Pakistan has managed to survive through all odds including a pandemic. Not just because they are a resilient nation but infact they have realised that when you come to a fork in a road, take it. Like a swinging pendulum their hopes for a better future kept oscillating between promises of democratic and accountabilities of dictatorial tenures. Gradually having witnessed both sides of the political coin, they now exhibit little concern in who wears the crown. Instead they expect a real change to happen. Each time a corrupt government gets toppled, streets witness jubilations and sweetmeats are distributed as a sigh of relief.

A vast majority of population feels disenchanted with Parliamentary Democracy which has failed to bring any betterment in their lives. The only state institute that still inspires and holds firm trust of masses are Armed Forces of Pakistan. But attempts are being made to break this last bulwark and blind faith and thrust them into a dark abyss of despair and pessimism. The enemy of Pakistan knows that; “In times of despair, we need hope. In times of frustration, we need inspiration. In times of confusion, we need clarity.”

And it is hope, inspiration and clarity which gets fogged by a flood of continuous propaganda and media scandals.

After 2018 general election it was a common perception that political stability, once achieved, can be reinforced, or it can undermined if accomanied by practices that are normally regarded as unethical or corrupt. Unfortunately PTI’s political hype has deflated way too quickly in presence of the real challenges faced within and outside the country. Now someone has to steer the sinking boat. But the million dollar question is, where shall the poor masses look for any reprieve? when country’s external and internal security are at high risks.

The greater the political topicality and explosive force, the stronger the public reaction generally is. Instead of being first line defense against foreign propaganda media promotes the agenda of the enemy

In the prevailing condition the armed forces find themself caught in a Catch 22 situation, where damned if you do, damned if you dont. The present COAS General QamarBajwa who is often refered in the military circle as a clear headed, intellectual general openly admitted that the country is encountering Fifth Generation War (5GW) also called hybrid warfare.

Carl Von Clausewitz a military theorist in his magnus opus “On War ” states, in the whole range of human activities, War most closely resembles a game of cards. He calls modern war as a duel on a larger scale which has a fundamental relationship with politics.

If our opponent is to be made to comply with our will, we must place him in a situation which is more oppressive to him than the sacrifice which we demand; but the disadvantages of this position must naturally not be of a transitory nature,at least in appearance, otherwise the enemy, instead of yielding, will hold out, in the prospect of a change for the better and to achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power and movement. The enemy’s “centre of gravity.” And at present, China Pakistan Economic Corridor project is that centre of gravity which is at the target of our enemies.

CPEC is the key to a real change that can transform the country from inequality to equality, democratic dictatorship to a real people’s democracy, to a country that puts necessities of people and protection of masses before profits. But achieving this utopia won’t be easy because there are forces that try to sabotage it.

Zygmunt Bauman book Liquid Modernity helps understanding the 5GW techniques by placing it in contemporary politico-sociological conditions. Bauman notices an onging process of separation of power from politics. With globalisation, power has moved away from the national, centralised, state-oriented political leadership into the hands of transnationally operating market forces, non state actors and business cartels.

Enemy mostly keeps itself hidden in hybrid warfare and uses indigenous groups, political parties and grieved population to widen the existing divides in the society, polarise political and religious forces and heighten extremism. The media scandals appear as one of the main tool for undermining the “symbolic capital” of political opponents and serves as a communicative product readily consumed by audiences. The greater the political topicality and explosive force, the stronger the public reaction generally is. Instead of being first line defense against foreign propaganda media promotes the agenda of the enemy. They act as major tools of hybrid war.

This is exactly what we witness in present political scenario of Pakistan. All the political elites who face corruption charges, money laundering cases in NAB have united under Pakistan Democratic Movement. They pledge to bring a real democracy in the country but have completely forgotten their consecutive democratic tenures. Their true intentions are to malign the state and its institutions. With an utmost desire to destabilize the country and scuttle CPEC through continuous bad imaging of the project and of people at responsible positions.

Nawaz Sharif’s venomous speech in All Parties Conference made it clear that he intends to defeat the very system, which brought him into power. Infact he offered an olive branch to the PM Imran Khan that the movement is not against him but against the Military which is now a combined target of forces within and outside the country.

Whereas previously, father- daughter duo left no stone unturned to deepen an impression that PTI is backed by the military. However they are absolved of all previous and present romantic rendezvous with the establishment. These corrupt leaders have pastiche personality of a social chameleon constantly borrowing bits and pieces of identity from whatever sources are available and constructing them as useful or desirable in a given situation.

Theory of Liquid Modernity describes our age as one in which “all agreements are temporary, fleeting and valid only until further notice” which results in the collapse of trust: the belief that our leaders are not just corrupt or stupid, but inept. They cannot act and fulfill promises of democracy. Thus the modern dilemna of governance is lack of action. Action requires Power, to be able to do things. Politics is needed because it has the ability to decide what needs to be done. When Politics fails to deliver its very purpose becomes obsolete. Globalization has ended the marriage of convenience between power and politics. Power became global with recent technological developments while politics stayed local dealing with collective issues but finds its hands cut off without any real power. This shifting of power has created a crisis of State legitimacy.

Fighting 5GW can be characterized as a counterinsurgency that liquidates the ideological and ethnic perceptions created by the enemy and breaks the social relationship between nonstate actors/insurgents and the public. This is only possible when people have trust in the institutions. It is needed to win the hearts and minds of the masses and reduce the environment of hate and vengence. Only an intelligent leadership can achieve it. Carl von Clauswitz advises, “if the mind is to emerge unscathched from this relentless struggle with the unforseen, two qualities are indispensable: first, an intellect that, even in the darkest hour, retains some glimmerings of the inner light which leads to truth; and second, the courage to follow this faint light whereever it may lead.” Otherwise social media goons would keep tarnishing the image of the most prestigious institutes.

Special Advisor (Pakistan Institute of Management, Lahore operated under Federal Ministry of Industries and Production, Islamabad) and Foreign Research Associate (Centre of Excellence, China Pakistan Economic Corridor, Islamabad)