A distant freedom

Freedom is something of an illusion in Pakistan. A reality confirmed by the Freedom House Annual Report which charts the fluctuations in democracy globally. Pakistan scores 43 out of a possible 100 for 2017, the same as 2016. The press and the internet scored as ‘not free.’ Freedom is on the decline everywhere as democracy is rolled back, the 12^th consecutive years this has happened. Turkey is declared ‘not free’ down from ‘partially free’. Much trumpeted freedoms in America supposedly the brand leader for ‘freedom’ are in decline and it is one of the 71 countries to see civil and political rights eroded. Trump Americana has drawn back from agreements on arms control, the environment and trade, whilst ethical considerations have gone into the shredder, as has transparency. In Europe right-wing political groups have advanced rapidly gaining elective representation fuelled in large part by the refugee crisis brought on by wars in the Maghrib and the Levant.

Closer to home and despite some liberalisation in Saudi Arabia the overall picture is of basic freedoms being rolled back. In Pakistan ‘disappearances’ silence the dissident voices and if the disappeared do reappear they quickly leave the country. The press and media generally have learned that self-censorship is the key to survival and criticism of the government and the establishment is muted and sometimes absent altogether. Religious minorities continue to be suppressed and driven out and their numbers constantly fall. The blasphemy laws remain unattended and the religious right wing is able to have the government by the throat as demonstrated by the Faizabad incident and although the country as a whole is safer, the space for authoritarian groups expands with the state choosing to look the other way as they do.

Freedoms are hard won in a country like Pakistan where the default position is ‘authoritarian’ and defenders of freedoms get short shrift. This drift is going to continue as there is no countervailing narrative on the horizon and the state will continue to edge towards being less free by the year. We are not alone in that more is the pity and we expect no early improvement.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2018.

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