Self vs soil

The environment in Pakistan is charged right now, even though you can say this about Pakistan at any given moment. Pakistan is like a blackhole of troubles, attracting problems from the most unknown and the most known sources.

I remember when the circulation of a certain newspaper used to be disrupted some years ago. So much noise used to be made by Pakistani journalists as well as foreign mainstream media. Those noise makers seem to have fallen in some blackhole too. Time must have slowed down for them. The events in Pakistan right now must not have registered a blip on their radar. As far as they are concerned, they might still be in 2021. Reach out to me on Twitter if you find so much as the phrase ‘assault on journalism’ or ‘journalists under attack’ or ‘freedom of expression restricted’ in any western newspaper or even from some of the most hated yet famous Pakistani journalists.

Two simple yet profoundly important national emotions are relevant to Pakistan’s situation today and need discussion. One is fear and the other is ego. A power system, whether an elected government or a monarchy or even a dictatorship, can only comfortably stay on the throne for as long as it enjoys a significant level of support and respect from the citizens. There are a number of ways a power system can ensure mass support such as mass bribery that some Arab monarchies use, promising a change that popular leaders usually employ, and so forth. Also, nationalistic sentiments, in other words rallying around the flag citing some imminent threat from a hostile nation, can be very useful in keeping the people ignore other issues and stand behind the government of the time.

However, regardless of the nature of the government and the method of earning the mass support, one thing certainly can never be ignored, which is that people should not fear their government, rather governments should fear their people. Furthermore, people should not be afraid of the power system in charge, foreign enemies should be afraid of the power system in charge.

The other important emotion is ego. When power systems see their ego hurt by the citizens’ legitimate expression of critique and show no such emotion when the nation’s soil and air are attacked, then something is amiss. This should rather be in reverse. They should show anger and aggression in response to foreign enemies violating Pakistan’s sovereignty. Tea should be given to those patriotic journalists who make undesired yet legitimate criticism. Beating and jailing should be the practice for foreign enemies attacking Pakistan and its people. Neutrality should be shown in response to citizenry making legitimate critiques. Sadly, I have to use the phrase ‘should be’ for the above mentioned legitimate practices.

There is a line drawn between the self and the soil. Sadly, the former is dear to those whose job is to protect the latter. Power systems should equate an attack on the nation’s sovereignty as an attack on their ego and respect. The truth is not in reverse but the reverse is true. Critiques over the actions of powerful individuals are treated the way an assault on the nation’s soil should be treated while questions about attacks on the sovereignty of the state are tossed around in a news briefing mumbo jumbo and journalists are treated as enemies of the state. The one resounding message heard around the world is this: be an enemy of Pakistan, attack the country, conspire against it, kill its people like Raymond Davis did, kill their soldiers like what happened in the Salala incident, violate its airspace like Abhinandan did, and in response Pakistan would show the kind of hospitality and decency where it would beat the Pashtunwali code by a mile. Show legitimate concern for your nation as a citizen and end up in trouble. Remember one thing though: the algorithm of public opinion would be cruel.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 7^th, 2022.

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