Reimaging Pakistan — Nothing but re-capturing Pakistan

The ruling elites in Pakistan enjoy absolute power and control over everything through a combination of political, economic and social means. The strategy is the use of state apparatus such as bureaucracy (civil and military), police and judiciary to keep tight control over law and order and over dissent (if it emerges anywhere). Judicial, legal and constitutional systems are exploited and corruption is used to undermine the law. Economic resources, particularly natural resources, are controlled by the ownership of different enterprises and businesses or by securing favorable trade and investment agreements, licenses and permits in order to accumulate wealth and consolidate economic power.

Along with these institutional means, they also maintain their power through social and cultural means (our feudal, caste and class systems). Media is used to shape, reshape and control opinion and discourse. They have been exploiting religion, traditions and other cultural and social norms to justify their rule and power and to maintain social order. I mean, they have been exploiting every formal and informal mechanism and tool available to them, serving their interest of reinforcing their power, control and dominance and marginalizing the masses.

But after April 2022, people woke to reality. They came to this dark and painful realization of being manipulated since the inception of the country in the name of religion and politics by these ruling elites those are less than 10,000 in total number and if we further narrow them down, they belong to less than 100 families — all correlated, inter-connected and strongly linked together. It is like a spider web over and around them. This realization is so powerful and frustrating, simultaneously, that their entire discourse has changed. Now, they know, the people ruling them and political opponents who apparently oppose their rule, are in cohorts. This has turned the obedient and innocent into dissidents. This dissidence seems powerful and threatening that the ruling elites of Pakistan have come up with a new strategy — reimaging Pakistan. The people are tried to lure again in the name and guise of patriotism. This move seems nothing but a desperate attempt to keep power and control intact.

People remember how the USSR was brought down — first, the holistic takeover of every institution that resulted in the complete takeover of the state and then — the fall, the collapse. But people also remember Turkey, Venezuela and Iran — what a united and selfless struggle for a cause, can do. Only time will decide if the ruling elites of Pakistan succeed again or, this time, if the people will break the shackles of subjugation and slavery.

Hassan Saleem Awan