Dissent and civic engagement

Questioning authority and challenging power structures are all seen with disdain

Pakistan is a country where ordinary citizens are treated not as dynamic participants in societal processes, but passive spectators. Questioning authority, challenging power structures and mocking counterproductive cultural practices are all seen with disdain; those who dare engage are derided as anti-state. The education system prioritises strict obedience and discipline, churning out individuals that are brainwashed goody two-shoes at best and ignorant, one-dimensional extremists at worst. Despite all this, however, certain recent events across the nation have uncovered some real diamonds in the rough, suggesting that all may not be lost.

On Oct 30, caretaker PM Anwaar ul Haq Kakar visited LUMS for an open-house with students. He was met with a barrage of forthright, hard-hitting questions about delays in provincial elections, the circumstances of the recent mayoral contestation in Karachi, rising weaponisation of religion in politics, the stifling nature of Pakistan’s social contract, ongoing deportation of Afghan refugees, the state’s role in incubating terrorist outfits and his own legitimacy as head of government. These are concerns that cut right to the heart of Pakistan’s political economy, directly targeting the nation’s de facto rulers. Coverage was broadcast across media spaces, unveiling the deep-seated anger, despair and disappointment in the educated youth towards governing elites.

Elsewhere, two conferences took place on Oct 28-29 and November 3-5 in Islamabad. The first was EconFest, hosted at the Pak-China Friendship Centre by PIDE, in which two days of panel discussions took place on issues ranging from parliamentary effectiveness, access to justice and democratisation in hybrid regimes to childhood development, energy misgovernance and opportunities for the youth. Here again, students from 15 universities enthusiastically took part, articulating their grievances, proposing solutions and engaging in healthy debate. The second event was Islamabad Literature Festival held at the Gandhara Citizen Club, where a combination of cultural and academic engagements took place themed around ‘people, planet and possibilities’. Ordinary folks experienced everything from talks/interviews and book launches to performative art and film screenings in the presence of popular academics, journalists, activists, politicians, civil bureaucrats, corporate sector professionals, NGOs and international donor agencies. Both events were free of cost and fueled by a sense of curiosity, resistance and intellectual diversity. For a brief moment, class divides were suspended, with everyday Pakistanis mingling with one another and engaging in a collective experience of learning and entertainment.

At a broader political level, the unified and consolidated response to the massacre in Gaza by the rogue state of Israel merits appreciation. Left or Right, progressive or conservative, grassroots or establishmentarian, people came out in the hundreds of thousands to express their outrage at the humanitarian disaster unfolding at the hands of the imperial Western bloc. In a country as divided as Pakistan — along class, caste, ethnic, religious and gendered lines — this was a rare moment of genuine solidarity with a vulnerable population that has faced systematic oppression for the past 75 years. If even a fraction of the spirit animating these protests were directed towards genuine truth, justice, equity and good governance, it would not be long before much-needed socioeconomic and political reforms are observed.

Each of the aforementioned events is illustrative of the reality of Pakistan’s citizenry: despite state oppression, political divisiveness and rampant economic precarity, ordinary people have preserved their desire for better conditions and are willing to enthusiastically partake in any and all activities that will help bring it to fruition. One can only wonder about the possibilities if they were actually included in the decision-making processes that affect their lives. People aren’t stupid: they are made so. We saw a glimpse recently.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2023.

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