The writer is Director News, Express News fahd.husain@tribune.com.pk. He tweets @fahdhusain
If you lose the narrative, can you win on the negotiating table? Or on the battlefield?
The hour is upon us and we are found wanting. The epic battle for the soul of Pakistan is raging around us, on us and in us — and victory is nowhere in sight. Surrender looms ominously overhead. Jinnah’s Pakistan lies scattered amid the wreckage of charred buses, bombed churches and mutilated bodies.
The stench of defeat is unmistakable.
Even false bravado has evaporated. It seems we cannot fight with our guns; we cannot fight with our words; and now, we cannot even fight with our thoughts. The heart has given up. And so has the mind.
Indeed, if there is a fight still left in us, it is a fight of adjectives. As lambs fight with bleats, we fight with one another — not with the enemy — hurling deadly adjectives like grenades. We spit venom, call names, point fingers and besmirch names and reputations. Once exhausted, we pat ourselves on the back for a fight well fought and prepare for the next round.
Meantime, the enemy sharpens his blade and washes it with blood. Our blood.
What do you do when the narrative is lost? What do you do with leaders whose tongues falter when naming the enemy? What do you do when they don’t know and don’t care?
So yes, let us name the names. Imran Khan doesn’t know. Nawaz Sharif doesn’t care.
Am I being judgemental? Yes, absolutely. Allow me this liberty to say it as it is and not wrap hardened reality in soft velvet covers. In this land of confusion, these two gentlemen — undisputed leaders of the two largest parties — will go down in history for presiding over the final annihilation of Jinnah’s Pakistan.
Their names will live in infamy for having surrendered the soul of Pakistan to throat slitters and baby-killers. Decades from now, this beloved land of ours may be an unrecognisable nation, forcefully mutated into a grotesque caricature of the dreams our forefathers dreamt. And when Pakistanis of the future peek back into history, they will see today, now, as the moment when the battle was lost. Two names then will rise from the pages of history to mock the dream that was once Pakistan: two names that will define how Pakistan was finally and ultimately lost.
Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan.
Defining moments are defined by a well-defined narrative, which in turn defines a definitive leader. The moment makes the man. Britain faced defeat and destruction at the hands of Nazi Germany. The darkest hour was upon it. Enter Winston Churchill:
“We shall fight on the seas and oceans … We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”
Churchill transformed his country’s darkest hour into its finest moment.
Am I then advocating total war against the TTP? Not exactly. War is the last resort and we all hope it doesn’t come to that. But before war, before negotiations and before dialogue, comes clarity of thought, executed through the power of narrative.
Nawaz Sharif has no narrative. None whatsoever. Bullet trains, motorways and flyovers do not define the soul of a nation. If he believes this existential war against terrorists can be fought with bricks and mortar, he is already a man vanquished by the enormity of the moment.
Imran Khan has lost the plot. His ego, his naiveté and stubborn refusal to face reality has unfortunately redefined his persona. Khan the reformer has now become Khan the apologist. Perhaps even an ally. What a waste of a perfectly good man.
Together these two men hold high the fluttering white flag of craven surrender. Together their quivering, dithering, grovelling and vacillating leadership has brought us to our knees. Together they will watch as the enemy cuts this nation’s head.
And then takes its soul.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 29th, 2013.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
COMMENTS (75)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Fahd. I just started reading your article, but it is depressing. The reason is that we donot correctly understand the reason for all the trouble taking place in our beloved country. The only reason is Pakistan being the only Muslim Atomic power in the world. This achievement is not valued. The enemies think that once Pakistan being poor and disturbed, can become Atomic power, if they are allowed to have peace and they make use of their sources, they will become a great power. Thanks to you media guys, who have crippled our thinking and courage and defaced Pakistan, by making incorrect analysis, labelling this trouble as internal and religious. You donot have courage to make the correct analysis and blame the powers who have initiated all this trouble. Everyone with a little thinking can name those countries who are actually behind this trouble. Please develop positive thinking among the masses. We will be out of trouble. May Allah help us to use our mind and think correctly Ameen.
Lets go ahead with this dialogue....Let the Mighty Khan put his money where his mouth is....Worst case scenario....IK will either get over his naivete or pro-talks group will be....I say lets get on with it...
The writer has mentioned some home truths...like it or not...the situation is as he has portrayed it...All those who want to drag this article in the dirt can do so as they please....but their arguments are sounding more like weak defences of children trying to defend themselves with protestions that everyone else also did this...
How true - how sad - how painful.
So suddenly Imran Khan and his handful of 30 NA seats has brought the country to its knees? What on earth are you talking about? You look old enough in your mugshot to know that this problem is at least 30 years old and that people like you and me are part of the problem. Get your head out of the sand and if you really want to make a difference then venture out and make it, rather than typing away columns in a world where even 10th graders have been given a tongue and point of view.
@Ejaaz: Sorry sir, you are lost in history and muddying the waters further. Get into this world and think of here and now and the existential threat that this country faces. Everything is not lost yet only if this article can stir up the mind and body of this nation a bit.
Yar for good sake, do not try new models. please try to be a part of the efforts being taken by Pakistan loving Individuals, Groups, Societies etc.it is not the emotions which lead the nation toward success but firm determinations. try to understand.
May all the pen pushers,note book warriors, Blackberry and iphone gladiators turned millionaires thanks to audio/visual media anchoring (Read hankering) go on and fight with the Taliban! No ? History say that among British and other Allied forces rank & file there were poets,teachers,sportsman, lawyers, engineers and almost all professions were represented but alas no journalists who just continued war mongering for no reason whatsoever. Please do not follow the fashionable slogans and trends.
Well said - but I think we have no choice. We will have to fight - and many more of us will die - but fight we MUST. Those of us not armed to fight will fight in this way. But what about those who are armed and meant to protect us - and yet DO NOT fight. You do not mention them.
Mr. Fahad, perhaps you have not been gone through the harsh experience of settling the war in a home where you would be bound to save the home as well as avoid major damage to future. please try to understand. criticism is the easiest thing to do. try to have a postion and try to put sourself in situation where you are to save both your office as well as your employee. try it and then comment the expeerince. Regards
How do you define a stake holder in this land of the pure???
ok fine if we accept it right what you say fahad can anybody from among anchor persons could tell me and others the exact solution of this problem.as far as operation is concerned its already going on for last 10 years but we achieved nothing...if u think u r intelligent enough then come up with a solution and stop this critisizm...all u can do is just critisizing others
Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. I deeply regret reading it a few days late. How could I be so ignorant if this piece. Couldnt' be better written. Agreed every bit.
Agree with the author's views. Those who are still advocating talks and opening offices have in fact surrendered to these barbarians and are already buried deep alive.
Right now Nawaz is the responsible because he is prime minister and control the agencies and over all policy of the country. It is not provincial who can control terrorism. Provinces if are asked to do this then Federal Govt. has nothing to do with this country and that every province then will feel we don't need to do anything with Federal Govt. We need to stop this happening.
We need Federal govt to take responsibility and don't get any dictation and do whatever is required to sort out terror.
Imran Khan is in Govt. from last couple of months and his party is new. Last 60 years main stream parties have been in power and every party also supported Army rule as well.
So don't ruin the country for the sake of destroying Imran Khan's politics.
@lkhan, No sense of humor, ehh?
Beautifully described the shortfall in our leadership, IK doesn't know and Nawaz Sharif doesn't care ! Its just backless naive politics by leaders too scared to do the right thing.
Fahad, I agree with some of your comments but disagree with most. I think at this time, when the country is in such state, we should all stick together and propose solutions rather than blame leaders. While, in my opinion, it is completely ok to criticize party policies, one should not go as far as to say that its the end of time for a country. "Their names will live in infamy for having surrendered the soul of Pakistan to throat slitters and baby-killers" . Having surrendered? You have used extreme language. Please everyone stick together we are one nation.
Pakistan can be rebuild only on the basis of Jinnah's 11 August speech anything else will simply destroy the right narrative to fight its problems.Rebuilding the nation on Jinnah's idea of separation of state and religion is itself a very big struggle after so many changes has brought into legal framework and inside the society by so many players in the history of Pakistan, which has given it objective resolution,declaring it Islamic State,Blasphemy & Hudood law etc.
I wish there has been a dislike button. or more approrpiately, "disgusted" button
So much for naivetes! Is Mr. Imran Khan fighting HIS (personal) war(s)? Or is it really for the betterment of the economic and social image construction of the country's?
Engaging in talks with people who dont even accept our constitution!!!!!!!thats an amazing idea,fate of nation cant be given in hands of people like imran khan,i m feeling sorry that i voted for him.
Dr Tahir ul Qadri is only hope i c 4 change in these circumstances,
I think Imran Khan should be tasked to go ahead with talks. Lets see what talking he is doing with Talibans who have again taken lives of many in Qisa Khwani Bazar. Imran khan go ahead and talk. lets c ur talking power. u probably dont understand what they are upto. so go ahead. Government and Army should push him to N Waziristan for talks.
@MSS: Yeah, go get em MSS/Fahd. Do not negotiate. Get out of your armchairs with your trusty shotguns and venture into Taliban territory. However, just remember that the US/NATO forces have been trying for 13 years now, and most of them are too scared to venture out of their stockades.
Great piece. But as the comments suggest, nothing will ever convince the Taliban/Imran apologists otherwise.
@Pakistani Ostrich: He won the world cup thanks to excellent team work, needless to say, he refused to share the glory with his team at the time - a telling sign of his personality. He too backed Mush who gave drone rights to the USA in 2004. I can not agree more with this article, our only hope is the citizens of Pakistan become more aware of the NS and IK dilly dallying and appeasement that are devastating the country. The only road left to Pakistan is to fight this existential menace with all its might before it dismembers a beautiful country with ancient cultures and history of tolerance. High time our armed forces and police are given the green light..
"will go down in history for presiding over the final annihilation of Jinnah’s Pakistan" Yes it is the fate with current scenario. When the oxygen providing apparatus is removed from the infested body shall be the last moment. "Doctors" are detrmined to remove it. Let us see who bells the cat.
If Mr. Winston Churchill had not existed Britain would not have had its darkest hour. Remember that Britain declared war on Germany. Not the other way about. Fortunately for Mr. Churchill the Russians and the Americans came to his rescue. To my knowledge, the British have not thanked them yet.
Waste of a perfectly good man? If he is wasted, he was never good to begin with.
Fahd, Absolutely correct. But you are blunt enough. Do not mince words. The only solution is 'go get 'em'. Surrender before TTP will mean a smaller less habitable Pakistan.
First a question, Who did you vote for Fahd? Dont tell us....N-League? Secondly, those keeping us and our military engaged in a never ending war want exactly this and we have people like you who support the idea of an endless war. We need to engage in serious talks and the very few who do not talk, should be fought with.
Pakistanis today are a confused and divided mix of peoples. They need to break away from the shackles of twisted religious extremist thinking which is consuming their very souls. Evil has taken hold in the name of religious ideoligy and permeated every strata of society. Anything is permissible as long as it is sanctioned under the name of religion. Free thinking, free speach and tolerance are dead. These are all signs of a decaying and dying society. Pakistan is passing through its own dark age. A secular, free thinking, educated society seems nothing more than an impossible dream.
We should zip our mouths and give peace a chance. If it doesn't workout the other option is always there! I'm afraid like the past media will be playing an ugly role in sabotaging the peace deal even before it's laid on the table!
@onman: Really and what is that narrative? Instrument of Surrender!!!!!
@Shahbaz Asif Tahir: So by not fighting you will save us? You want us to surrender. Do you even understand what that means? Are you ready to release their prisoners and call back the army? Are you ready to enforce their brand of Sharia? And that is just to start the talks.
One more article against Imran Khan. It is becoming clear that media is on a specific agenda and has been paid huge amounts just to criticize PTI on each and every platform. Dear Author, which pakistan you are living??? Its not PTI govt. who is incharge in pakistan. Its Nawaz govt. my dear. Now a days the situation is been created like we used to call india. If there's dog die in india, they blame pakistan. Same situation is happening in pakistan internally now. If sharifs are doing any mistake, balme comes to Imran Khan. When we will grow up??? All (paid) media including ET is criticizing PTI and Imran khan for all those sins committed by current and all previous govts. What's this logic??? Are we blind???
Brilliant Fahad. But this dire warning of your's is disastrously belated. The process of taking hold of the soul of Jinnah's Pakistan was taken in hand when we begin to interfere in Afghanistan in the hope of gaining the political and economic mileage with the so-called free world particularly America. More than everyone else this was the holy and sacrosanct project of establishment. You know better who was the beneficiary of this blatant interference in Afghanistan affair. This genie of jihad that we let loose on that hapless country is now haunting us. We have to fight with the narrative that we adhered to over the last three decade. We have to fight with all those who pushed this cataclysmic recipe down our throat as the ultimate truth. We have to fight our history, ideology, curricula and the deeply entrenched mindset in educational institution, cantonments, offices, madrassas, mosques, industries etc. This is an uphill task. So my dear Fahad let us join them if we can't beat them like NS and IK. After all this is how pragmatism is all about.
You have put into words what I feel.
You can never win a war without the publics support. And no not support from Punjab/Sindh public. But from the public at KPK. You need the tribal support every step of the way. Taking away their jihad narrative is of the utmost importance.
And unlike "germany". The enemy this time is within, it is not visible. There isn't any demarcation line ,or any geographic map set out for the enemy. So please do not compare this to that.
Everyone would be singing a different tune if the war was to be fought where you and your family lives.
Were Imran and Nawaz the only leaders two back talks in APC?? Why blame only them? Why not blame all other political parties who followed Imran Proposal?
Fahad,when d lions r lead nd comded by DOGs they will die like dogs, v r grateful and thankful , plz plz plz wake us up
I am still waiting for most of the armchair critics to come up with an alternative, but workable solution. Just criticizing does not solve anything. I will not comment on most of the nonsense contributions. However, it is just as well to keep in mind that most of the problems started in 2001, and severely damaged any balance that could be maintained between now and the hereafter. The big problem is that nobody is blaming the right culprits. .
What you say is true but imran khan won the world cup for us, all by himself!
Well written! In Britons darkest hour, they had Winston Churchill to tell the people what needed to be done! In Pakistan at this dark hour, a Neville Chamberlin impersonator contest is in full swing, with "the usual suspects" leading the race for WHO can wave the white flag the fastest!!!
Jugglery of words simply defining the present scenario without coming up with the slightest hint or suggestion for a future course of action. Welcome to the orchestra.
Very carefully, the author has skirted the role of the Army, which after all controls our national security policy.
Fahd, also tell the apologists... they will not spare them when they are finished with us....
Perhaps my previous comment was too harsh, so it could not find space. I would say, you are about 20% right. The blame lies somewhere else. Since 1979, when horrific decisions were taken, on which present situation is based upon, Imran was playing cricket and Nawaz was not in the picture. Fast forward, from 2001, when each and every decision was taken by Generals, Imran was still playing cricket in politics and Nawaz was not in the picture. I condemn Imran's stance more than Nawaz Sharif, because like most of Pakistanis, he was my hero too. Other than that, he or Nawaz Sharif were never in the game.
blaming NS and IK is like blaming Obama for all the mess in american economy ??? is not it sir.
It is indeed shameful....The TTP churns and builds and grows stronger everyday while our leaders vacillate and hide. Its very obvious by now that this evil will not be swayed...it won't bend to reason, or pity or suffering, only to force, as history has always shown.
Nawaz Sharif has no narrative, okay, but.... Imran Khan has lost the plot? You seem to miss the fact he's the only one with a narrative.
Do you think it might be the other way around: soul first and then the head? One was lost at the time of birth or soon thereafter. The other is in the hands of the executioners.
Brilliant Fahd!
Churchill didn't have a 2 year old child throwing tantrums every time people called him out for the idiot he is.
It reminds me the argument before Lal Masjid. Two groups, one for KILL all the way and other for negotiation and kill. Please decide where you stand. Unfortunately, I belong to first group and repent it.
Very brutal and very true. It gave me palpitations towards the end. You have so much feeling in this piece. I did not want to come out of my denial yet, but you have forced me out. We have lost the battle, and NS will give the final whistle, along with IK who will be the icing on the top.
We since long crying but listener do not paying attention. Day by day we are loosing our values peace and morality. I think these word are mere words for nothing. Though I have respect for writers and his intention and his concern. But the athourities are deaf and blind. The country seems falling rapidly.
Agree 100%.
Fahad all those who are blaming Imran, what solution do you suggest. Should we keep fighting and loose another 50,000 precious lives., and another $70 billion in losses. This while thieves in PPP, PMLN, and the media continue to loot and plunder the country. What non sense are you people suggesting ?
Dear Fahd, I completely agree. Only that battle and the war was lost a long long time ago. Once we accepted that we cannot live with the "other", it was inevitable that we needed to define who was not the "other", and as the Munir report of 1953 stated clearly that there really was no we, just a whole lot of others. In 1970 we killed an awful lot of us as the other but that was over a 1000 miles to the east of us. Don't blame Nawaz and Imran. They are merely going along with the logic that was put in place a long long time ago.
Please go as far as you can to criticize the civilian politicians and praise the army for its great achievement of hoisting the hate groups on Pakistan. Good Job!
The writer is spot on.
TTP's demand of today seems like the 1st step in the devolution of Jinah's Pakistan. They have asked for changing the constitution according to their limited world-view.It can be expected that there will be no role of parliamentary democracy, independent judiciary,or elections.There will be religious policing,and total withdrawl from science , discovery and modernity.There won't be any balance between here and hereafter. The populace has to completely forget about life in this world,and just wait for Qiamat.(off course clerics will continue to enjoy life here too,they being the chosen).
Absolutely correct. Bang on target. Except that I find Nawaz Sharif much more pragmatic and consummate a leader. He will succeed. At least in laying the foundation of a resurgent Pakistan. Best wishes to all realistic Pakistani people.
Each and every word is true about imran in this op-ed, unfortunately. I can't agree more.
Yes, but I ask you sir, given how good looking IK is, dont you think he would better represent Pakistan than Nawaz Sharif?