Daily Times

During my recent trip to Pakistan, I found people upset, exhausted and feel betrayed as they no longer had confidence in the country’s leadership. Perhaps, even more worryingly, the scavengers are circling to conclude that happily ever after is not a fairy tale, it’s a choice we made.

Nevertheless, one of the profound luxuries of childhood is enclosed in the fairy tales and their characters, which can detach you from the exhausting life cycle, and take you to a magical world. I suppose, my grim childhood was merely responsible for not meeting any fairy tale figures until my grey hairs and wrinkles began the ageing process.

Most of us have our own personal favourite fairy tale characters, which rise from fascinating children stories or countryside tales. However, I found mine in “Azadi March”, also known as the “Tsunami March” in 2014. At my first acquaintance, my fairy tale figure was full of life and unconquerable, a man predestined for greatness by unique qualities in his character ready to turn on the light. We know that, without an algorithm, happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.

The profound societal fracture and visible divisions, in the absence of a master, are always catastrophically perilous for a nation’s future.

In truth, “Azadi March” was fashioned by the passionate vows and hymns, which imitates the uncut recap of the “Christmas season.” Just like carols of gladness ring from every tree and Santa Claus lands to remind us all that Christmas is more than cards, candy and Turkey.

Today, it is worth recalling that garlanding fairy tale character, which wrapped the entire nation in an ersatz sheen of pseudo selflessness. The lavishly chanted mantras of my fairy tale figure and his squad successfully persuaded the voters to re-brand their lives by rebuilding a nation where equal opportunity exists for all citizens. Similarly, he promised to fight against a dark wizard which intends to become immortal and intolerant to ensure women, minorities, and the disadvantaged are not exploited by the powerful or discriminated against.

Furthermore, my fairy tale figure’s lifestyle was extravagant, with a knack to deliver magical speeches that refurbish hopes for those who have failed and failed again by the dysfunctional system. Precisely, the colourful imagery and captivating promises branded in the Azadi March, charmed us to believe, this very fairy tale figure would arise to rescue us from the shackles.
Finally, I had set my sleepy eyes to see the first beacon of a prosperous future for my Kingdom, an egalitarian society based on the rule of law and economic justice. Consequently, to rebuild a fair society, where a struggling elderly cobbler, shopkeeper and chauffeur will receive all necessities of life, were the golden promises of my fairy tale figure.
In my own experience, it seemed obvious to me our fight wasn’t against our opponents, but it was against the clock. But I didn’t have any doubts about the competency of my fairy tale character to overthrow all magical powers which govern non-magical people known as the victims of the status quo. I was recklessly expectant, he will disapprove of hatred and intolerance by rebuking dark creatures and pulling down all fences to make the entire country united.

Needless to say, things worked in stark dimensions and we did not quite get what he bargained for. Unfortunately, he changed nothing for those who suffer in lands, which even alienated the system to warrant hunger, poverty, despair and tyranny in the Kingdom. Unfortunately, the python of greed and corruption continued to blight the nation.

Amid emotional warfare, I found later that my fairy tale figure also made a magic mirror that distorts the appearance to show people what they want to see. The mirror had a feature of only magnifying the bad and ugly aspects of others. He took the mirror throughout the Kingdom, delighting in using it to distort everyone and everything. Through the magic mirror, I saw a thriving Kingdom with millions of new jobs, a debt Free State and a rule of law but sadly that was a trick of the magic mirror. Magic mirror showed what I wanted to see.

In the end, it didn’t quite work out; my fairy tale figure did not come to rescue me nor save me from the power of black magic. Maybe it’s reckless, self-harm, maybe it’s the pervasive influence of my fairy tale character for having no courage to face the truth. My dear, the nation is powered not by love or speeches but by its annual budget, rule of law, governance – and love has never paid a hard-pressed electricity bill.
I am exhausted to admit “Azadi March” was a story of jealousy and untrue promises which are dead now and lie deep down in a glass casket. This story has great elasticity and will be used again and again as one of the prodigious retellings of magnificent lies.

It is correct, the political elites, whether we like it or not, have become a symbol of danger to civic prosperity. The profound societal fracture and visible divisions, in the absence of a master, are always catastrophically perilous for a nation’s future. For decades, the shades of grinding poverty, intolerance and sectarian divisions, have enormously craved for a leader who would piece together with the nation to lock the “Chamber of dejection” to spin the wheels of the social and economic system.

What I found wonderful about this tale, and still do, is that my figure turns out to have accomplished a comically small feat and ends up a hero. There is something incredibly human about my fairy tale figure – he’s an everyman, not a statesman. Finally, a magic mirror slips from our grasp and falls back to earth, shattering into billions of pieces, some no larger than a grain of sand.

The writer tweets @Qamarrafiquk.